


Cold Comfort

by Joan_of_Arc



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Red Wedding, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2018-02-15 09:53:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 29,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2224659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joan_of_Arc/pseuds/Joan_of_Arc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"She needed comfort, but not his comfort, not from this man." … </p><p>Tywin Lannister has a master plan to control all of Westeros, but he needs Catelyn Stark to get control of the North and the Riverlands. She is spared at the Red Wedding and forced to marry Tywin Lannister. Will Tywin succeed in his plans? Will Catelyn get to see her family again?</p><p>Old story. New chapters added January 2018: Rickon, Catelyn, Tywin. Now finished.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tywin I

**Author's Note:**

> Note 1: A I watched the series, I had always thought that killing Catelyn at the Red Wedding made no sense from a strategic point of view. A man like Tywin would have made better plans. She could have made a very valuable hostage. And indeed, in the books he does mention this to Tyrion. As I read the book afterwards, it was a bit creepy to find out that my strategy was akin to Tywin's ... 
> 
> Note 2: Killing Catelyn was also a mistake from a literary point of view since it implies that we lose the voice of the North. She was the only narrator from that side of the war, the only character point of view we had of the North and the Riverlands. 
> 
> Note 3: Reading the books, I would never pair Catelyn and Tywin. They never see each other and are never together in the story. Yet, watching the TV show, I can definitely see these two wonderful actors sharing a scene. Together with Tyrion and Davos they are the best and most sensible minds in Westeros. 
> 
> Hope you like my story.

He did not considered himself old by any means, nor was he planning on dying anytime soon. But what kind of visionary pragmatic great Lord would he be if he did not make provisions for the great legacy he was planning on leaving his heirs. The question was: which heirs? So he started to ponder …

_Cersei, Queen Cersei, Queen Regent actually … Mother to three bastards, one of whom is the monster king. Rumours started to spread about the incestuous relationship between Jamie and Cersei long before the little shit Joffrey decided to behead Ned Stark, thus giving his supporters more reason to believe the rumours. I cannot believe the monster he has turned out to be, what he has put that poor Stark girl through – with the tacit approval of his mother. The boy hasn’t got long. Somebody is bound to kill him sooner or later, the Gods know many people have reasons to do so. Am I such a bad grandfather I feel no remorse thinking like this about my own grandson? He is not what the realm needs. Forget the realm, he is not what our family needs. He’s a black stain on our lineage. I wanted a dynasty and I get a daughter who fucks her own twin to beget a monster. After Joffrey’s gone, hopefully sooner than later, Tommen will be King. He looks like a decent kid. Yet, if he becomes King he will not inherit Casterly Rock. And with Myrcella having been shipped to Dorne to marry into the Martells I need to look elsewhere to bequeath my Rock._

_Jaime … oh Jamie, I had great hopes for you. What a disappointment you turned out to be! Sleeping with your own sister! You had the looks, the brain and the strength to get any woman you wanted, and it is your own sister you desire. You’ve become useless now. Captured by the young pup, used by the northern trout and then maimed by the goat. One-handed, you’re no longer Kingsguard material. And you cannot inherit Casterly Rock precisely because you took that oath._

_So that leaves Tyrion. Imp, deformed, dwarf, abnormal, monster, creature, abomination.  Odd as it sounds, you might as well end up being my only hope. I can’t say I have forgiven you for killing your mother. I know, it was not your intention, but you did it nonetheless. Oh my Joanna! I’ve never found anyone like her, and I don’t think I ever will. … Yet, you may still prove valuable to the family. By marrying you to the Stark girl we may be able to secure the North. You just have to put a baby in her. I cannot claim to know what goes on in your bedchambers, but if I am to go by the rumours I hear, we’ll never get Winterfell. I may have to resort to doing the deed myself. Come on Tyrion, just stick it into the girl so I can ship you off to Winterfell to claim the North for the family. I have no wish to go there myself, that barren piece of cold hell. But if you claim it for the Lannisters you would have accomplished your greatest contribution to the family._

_So, back to the issue of my legacy … That Stark woman, the mother. If everything goes according to plan, Lord Edmure will spend the rest of his days in a Twins dungeon. The titles of Riverrun could pass on to her. If I get her, I can get Riverrun, as well, not just by conquest, but by title. I get her to produce heirs, something she’s apparently very good at having had five children, and get control of half of Westeros: Joffrey as King with Tommen waiting in line should something happen to him, Myrcella in the South (I will need to exert my influence over her somehow), Tyrion in the North, and I myself controlling not just Lannisport, but the Riverlands as well._

_Not bad, not bad at all … I need to start making arrangements. Let’s start by changing things with Lord Frey._

 

So, he grabbed a quill and penned a message to be sent to the Twins right away.

 

Lord Walder Frey,

As per arranged, you can go hunting for wolves and you can keep the fish you want. But leave the Northern trout to me. She is to be sent to Casterly Rock.

Lord Tywin Lannister

 

TBC


	2. Catelyn I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading the story. I hope you like the plot  
> Catelyn is up next ...

Arrows were flying from all the corners in the room. Angry yells and shrieks of agony were drowning a tune that had long ceased to be heard. Boom. Boom. Suddenly she saw her son among the melee of men fighting in the hall. She tried to get to him but she fell to the floor when her back exploded in a storm of pain. She tried to crawl towards him but her path was blocked by a wall of legs and other body parts that were now dotting the floor. She grabbed a knife from the table and yanked a young looking girl from under a table. Her back was on fire. She held on to the girl tightly with one hand and held the knife in the other hand.

 

“Lord Walder, let it end. Let my son go and we will take no vengeance”, she pleaded.

“And why would I do that?” replied the old man from his high chair with a smirk on his face.

“On my honor as a Tully, on my honor as a Stark, I swear, you let my son go and we will forget about this.”

 

Through her tears she only had eyes for her son as he lay dying on the floor. “Please” she begged again, but to no avail. A man stepped into her line of vision and she could see as he thrust a sword into her son’s chest. She lost control of her body and her emotions and the world ceased to exist for her. All of a sudden, the pain her back was gone. She did not feel anything as her own hand slashed through her young hostage’s throat. She heard a thud and was not sure who had fallen on the floor, she couldn’t see through the veil of tears and blood covering her face. The room had fallen silent in a cacophony of sounds. Thinking of her losses she could feel her heartbeat slowly coming to a stop. She had lost so much: Ned and Robb murdered, Bran and Rickon killed by a friend, Arya was lost most likely dead, Sansa imprisoned in King’s Landing, her father dead, her brother will most likely be killed as well. _I’m coming, Ned, wait for me_ , she thought as the lights went out and her head hit the floor.

 

 

 

Pain. Her body was tired, her muscles not responding. Her eyelids felt heavy and she couldn’t open her eyes. Her back was burning. What happened? She was finally able to open her eyes a little and through the narrow slit she could see she was in a small, dim-lit room. She tried to get up but her legs were not budging. Her hands were not moving, either. Her body was not cooperating with her, so she decided to fall back into oblivion. She felt safer there, in the darker corners of her mind.

 

When she opened her eyes again she felt somewhat stronger, although trying to get up proved to be a wrong decision. Her legs gave and she fell to the floor. Slowly she got up again and sat on the cot. Her hand went to her back and she could feel a bandage through the soft linen of her gown. She took stock of her surroundings: a dark small room, the air felt humid and smelled damp, she was barefoot, wearing a light colored short-sleeved gown which barely covered legs, there was a bandage on her back and it felt warm to the touch, her whole back was on fire to be honest, her head felt heavy and she felt dizzy. She tried to get up again but the room started spinning and the floor started to move. She slipped from the cot and fell hard on the floor. She felt her stomach begin to grumble and she started heaving and retching. _At least I didn’t soil my cot_ , she thought ruefully. Where was she? What happened?

 

She looked at her hands and she had a flash of memory of her hands covered in blood. Suddenly there was a storm of images and sounds viciously attacking her mind: blood, pain, arrows, swords, knives, pain, music, dancing, more pain, Robb … Robb lying on the floor in a pool of blood arrows sticking out of his body. No!!!!!! She wasn’t sure if she had yelled or not, but a shadow suddenly appeared at the door of her room and she could hear voices.

 

“I guess she must be awake now” a male voice said and the door opened to reveal two men. “Oh, no. Look at the mess you made. I’m not cleaning that” he said pointing at the vomit on the floor. “Come on, Lord Walder said to take you to him as soon as you awoke” and he moved to grab her by the arm.

 

She didn’t have the strength to fight them and she could not really walk on her own, so she let them drag her all the way to the Main Hall. As they entered the room more memories assaulted her brain. And then she saw him. Sitting proud on his high chair on the dais was Lord Walder Frey.

 

“Ha, ha. So, you’re finally awake” he said.

“Where’s my son?”

“Together with most of his men, ha ha” he taunted.

“Where is my son?” she repeated more forcefully this time.

“Dead, ha ha”

“I know. Where is he?”

“Have you gone mad? He’s dead.”

“I know he is dead. I saw him with my own eyes. I saw as your men betrayed us and started massacring our party, my son and his men. I know you killed him. I saw his body shot full of arrows and a sword thrust into his chest. I did not ask about his health. I asked about the location of his body.”

“Oh, you mean to bury him? Which part, the body or the head?” he smirked. “His body with the head of his beast has been paraded around the camp. King Wolfie, ha ha. His head is on a spike in the battlements. The body of his wolf we gave to our dogs for food. Which part would you like to see?”

“Where’s my brother?”

“In the dungeons. Actually, his cell was close to where yours was.”

“Why? Lord Frey, my son made a mistake. He apologized. He knew he had slighted you and he felt terribly sorry. We agreed to another wedding. My brother married your granddaughter. You were my father’s bannerman. He had just passed and you betrayed his memory like this. Why?” she cried.

“Your father never game me anything. The Lannisters pay better. And speaking of Lannisters, you need to get ready for your trip. Lady Catelyn, you have won yourself a trip to Lannisport”, he snorted.

 

She felt numb. She didn’t know if it was the cold and the light gown she was wearing, or the memories of the accursed wedding, or finding out about her son’s final fate or her own fate. Right now she couldn’t care less about what they had in store for her, she was dead already.

 

She didn’t fight them as they dragged her to a room up the stairs. She kept still as two handmaidens took off her clothes, bathed her and then dressed her again in one of the gowns she had brought to the Twins. She just sat silently as they braided her hair. When she was ready, she was taken to the yard. A Lannister envoy was waiting for her.

 

“Lady Stark, my name is Ser Botham and this is my squire Linus. These are my men, as well” said one of the soldiers as he approached her holding a horse. “You’re coming with us to Lannisport”. He helped her mount and continued “I really do not wish to tie your hands, my Lady, but we will if you force us.”

“I’ll comply” she said quietly.

 

They rode all the way to Seagard and then boarded a ship bound to Lannisport. Her legs ached. Though she had always been an accomplished rider, she had never done it for such a long distance without stopping. After she was locked in her chamber on the ship she collapsed on the bed. She didn’t even bother taking off her clothes, or eating any of the food they had left for her. Truth be told, she was indeed starving and extremely thirsty, but all she wanted was to crawl into bed and disappear from the world.

 

A knock on the door woke her from her fitful sleep. Ser Botham entered the room and made her get up.

“My lady, you didn’t eat. You need to keep your strength.”

“For what?”

“We’re still a long way from Lannisport. You cannot go without food or water for so long. Please, come with me. Let me take you to the deck and you can have breakfast.”

 

The sun hit her directly in the eyes as she stepped onto the deck and she was blinded for a few seconds. When her eyes focused again she could see she was being taken towards a table.

“Please, help yourself” Ser Botham said.

 

Not willing to get into an argument, she took a sip of the wine and grabbed a handful of grapes. Then she sat on the floor by the railing and contemplated the sea. To her left she could see land, to her right the vast endless ocean glistening in the morning sun. _I could jump_ , she thought. _I could swim all the way to the shore and escape, or maybe they shoot me full of arrows, just like Robb. Or maybe I could swim into the ocean and disappear into its huge nothingness. I’ll be lost and nobody will hear from me again, just like Arya. Or I could put up a fight so the have no choice but to kill me, just like Bran and Rickon. Maybe they intend to take me to trial and behead me for treason, just like Ned. Or maybe they’ll just keep me prisoner, just like Sansa._

 

She didn’t know how long she had stayed there just staring into the sea, but when she got up she felt her legs sway and would have fallen had it not been for Linus. He gently grabbed her by the shoulders before she fell to the floor and took her back to her chambers. She relieved herself and went straight to bed.

 

She followed the same routine the following day and the day that came after. She would be escorted to the deck, take a sip of whatever beverage they had on the table, grab a small helping of some fruit and then sit by the railing all day just letting her gaze fall on the water. She didn’t talk to anyone, she didn’t eat, she didn’t drink. She was getting weak and she knew it. By the third day on the ship, she could hardly walk by herself. She had rebuffed all intents by Ser Botham, Linus and some of the other men to engage her in conversation. She didn’t want to speak to anyone, she didn’t want to exist anymore. As night fell she was ready to jump off the boat when Ser Botham caught her by the waist.

 

“My Lady, please don’t do that. We’ll be arriving tomorrow morning. Let me take you to your chambers so you can rest.”

 

She tried to look up to his face but she only made it half way through before she started retching and vomiting whatever little food she had in her. She had no strength left so she let him carry her and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the morning sun was seeping through the small window. She was in her bed. Apparently Ser Botham had taken the trouble to strip her off the outer layers of her clothing and tucked her under the covers. Had the situation been different, she would have thanked him. Now she had a daunting task ahead of her. _I’m going to meet Tywin Lannister._

 

 TBC


	3. Tywin II

He had never met Lady Stark in person, but both his sons said she was a fairly attractive woman, but difficult to deal with. Of course, the last time both his sons had seen this lady they had been her captives. Still, according to all accounts, she was tall, fairly fit, with delicate features, pale skin, freckles and long wavy auburn hair which she normally wore in a braid. She was said to walk straight and proudly and move about with the dignity fit of a lady. If she was indeed hard to deal with, Tywin knew he could tame her.

 

Yet, the woman he saw at the port being escorted out of the boat was nothing like what they had said. She looked older than her age, extremely pale, gaunt and white as a sheet. Her hair was unkempt, half a braid holding part of her hair and the rest falling messily behind her shoulders. Her clothes seemed dirty and reeked of vomit. She hadn’t even bothered to make herself presentable.

 

“I trust you had a pleasant journey” he told her courtly as he took her hand and walked her on to the quay. “I’m sure you would like to see your chambers and freshen up.”

 

Taking her silence as a cue he continued. “Do you know why you’re here, Lady Stark?”

“You’re about to make me Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, pardon my family and bring them back from the dead” she replied deadpan as she brushed past him and continued walking towards the castle.  

“Ha! My sons warned me you had a sharp tongue. I’m glad your recent misfortunes have not changed you that much.” Keeping up with her quick pace and without waiting for a reply he continued “No, you’re here to be my wife”.

 

He had been prepared for all sorts of replies: a submissive “Yes, my Lord”, a slap in the face, a tirade against his family, for her to break down in tears. Yet her reaction took him by surprise. She just burst into laughter,  hysterical guffaw fitting of a mad woman. _Gods, what have I done? She’s lost her marbles._

 

“Lady Stark, did you understand my proposal?” he tried again.

“Of course I did” she said and stopped dead in her tracks looking him in the eye. With an icy glare and a steely voice she continued “Your family murdered my Ned under false charges of treason. You personally orchestrated my son’s death, who was killed right in front of my very eyes. You’re also responsible for my brother rotting in a dungeon, if he is in fact still alive, and the ruin of my childhood home. My youngest sons are dead because of this bloody war against your family and my husband’s house lies in ruins. Your family has lost one of my daughters and keeps the other one prisoner. Why would I want to marry you? I understand. You won the war. We lost. Just give me my punishment and be done with me. Let me go or just have me killed. I’m fine with it either way. I’ve nothing left to live for”

_No, she’s not mad. All marbles are accounted for. Yet, she looks tired. She feels defeated._ “No, Lady Catelyn, you will not be killed. You will, in fact, wed me. I believe this arrangement to be advantageous for the both of us.”

“Please enlighten me, Lord Tywin”, she snorted. “What can I win from marrying the man that destroyed my family. And what is your gain? I’m a disgraced woman. My husband was executed for treason and my son has lost the war.”

“If I were to let you go, where would you go? Riverrun is under my command. I have temporarily given it to my brother Kevan. You probably remember his son Willem” he paused for effect and saw her shivering slightly. “Yes, I see you do. He was killed there by you son’s men, so I saw it fitting Kevan should get Riverrun in return. Would you go to Winterfell? From what I’ve heard, the place is a shambles. It was torn down by the Ironmen or put to the torch by the Bastard of Bolton, not sure which. Will you go to the Eyrie with your sister? I’m told she’s a bit … how shall I put it? Out of sorts? Maybe you can go to the Wall and stay with your husband’s bastard. Wouldn’t that please your dead husband? His wife and his bastard freezing to death together. Casterly Rock is your best option. You have no place to go to, and no one to run to. Most of your family is dead. Sansa is all you have left, and your only option of seeing her is staying with us and becoming my wife. Do you wish to see your daughter again, Lady Catelyn?”

 

He saw her shoulders fall and saw ten years added to her already haggard soul. Silently she nodded and waited for him to continue.

 

“May I?” he asked and took her by the hand. They continued walking towards the castle and he proceeded to lay the plan out for her. “We’re getting married in three days, so you have a few days to rest and get some colour into that pale face of yours. Then we’re going to King’s Landing. My grandson Joffrey, soon to be your good grandson, is getting married. We have a royal wedding to attend. You will see Sansa there.”

“So many weddings … aren’t you afraid people will get bored soon?”

“Now that you mention it, maybe. Let’s see. We had Tyrion’s and Sansa’s. Your brother’s and that little Frey girl’s. Joffrey’s and Margery’s. And of course, ours. I wonder, which one will be your favourite?”

 

She just looked at him for a few seconds and said nothing. They continued to walk in silence until they got to the gates of the castle. “Welcome to Casterly Rock, Lady Catelyn” he said and proceeded to show her to her chambers. _She needs to be alone more than she needs to see the castle right now. In time she’ll get to know the place and love it as much as I do._

 

TBC 

**__ **


	4. Tywin III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading.  
> Here's another Tywin POV chapter ...

He spent the next three days planning the last details of the wedding. It was not to be a grand celebration, just a small intimate gathering with the people from the castle. He would see his family in a few days for Joffrey’s wedding. It was a political wedding in the midst of war. It was a long term plan not an alliance of armies. He didn’t need an opulent feast, best leave that for the young King and his Court.

 

Then he turned to more pressing matters. He wrote to his brother at Riverrun informing him that he could rule the Riverlands in his stead until he was able to produce an heir with Catelyn and then the boy would inherit all the titles to Riverrun. He wrote to Lord Frey asking for any new developments regarding any remaining Stark men who may have escaped the ambush, especially the so called Blackfish. He needed to be eliminated to erase any other prospective Tully heir to Riverrun. Edmure Tully was to be released and allowed to return to Riverrun with his new Frey wife, but he was not going to be Lord of Riverrun. The Riverlands belonged to the Lannisters now. He also sent letters to his son Jamie informing him of his new plans and asking to keep him abreast of any new developments concerning Joffrey. He was genuinely afraid for the boy. He was reckless and many of his careless actions put the realm and all of Tywin’s hopes and dreams at risk.

 

Finally the day arrived. He gathered his most trusted Lords and their Ladies, most of the sergeants and lieutenants and the Sept in the Main Room. He was dressed in dark grey velvet pants, a crimson leather doublet with golden ornaments. His crimson cloak bore the golden lion of Lannister. He had made sure to let his wife wear her colours, so her dress was made in blue silk with thin red lines for her Tully side and grey embroidery in honor of her Stark side - nothing too fancy or flamboyant. Her hair was braided in a simple northern style, most likely she had done it herself, as he knew she had been refusing the service of the handmaidens he had provided for her. She was wearing a gold necklace with matching earrings and bracelets. He had to admit she looked much better than when she had first stepped off the boat at the quay. She did not look quite so haggard and so worn. He could even say she looked attractive. The ceremony was short and simple. He was not going to fool himself or his guests. This was not a celebration but, as he liked to call it, a long term plan. As the Sept said his words and they pronounced their vows, he donned the crimson Lannister cloak on her shoulders and it didn’t take long for everybody to start calling for the bedding ceremony. Most of the female guest were too embarrassed to start tearing at his clothes so they just pretended to be pulling and pushing, but in reality all they were doing was respectfully escorting him out of the room. He noticed that, although most of the men were eager to rid his wife of her clothes, she was the one hurrying out of the room, practically elbowing her way past the mob of leering men and their lewd comments.

 

When they found themselves alone in his chambers, they both stood still and silent, unsure of what to say to each other. He realized that he indeed wanted her. He knew he could force her if he wanted to, but he did not really want to start an already shaky relationship with such violence and force. He also knew she would do her duty by him, it was in her words, after all. He did not have to wait long before she started slowly pulling at her clothes while she kept her steely glare fixed on him.

 

“Do you need help?” he asked tentatively and took a couple of steps towards her.

“No, thank you, my Lord. I can manage” she replied coldly and finished removing her clothes. With her eyes still fixed on him, she stood naked in the middle of the room and he knew that he was going to be the one to take the next step. Carefully, he removed his clothes, folded them and placed them on the table by the door. He took her hand and took her towards the bed. As he attempted to kiss her mouth she stopped him.

“I know my place”, she said icily. “I will do my duty, I will not stop you. But do not expect me to love you or enjoy this.”

“Very well, let’s do our duty, then. I will try to enjoy it, you might want to do the same.”

 

 

 

He had been with very few women after Joanna. Nobody could compare to her. Joanna had been his rock, his foundation, his love, until that deformed creature had taken her away from him. He still missed her with all his heart, and nobody was going to take her place. The few women he had bedded after Joanna had been greedy highborn ladies in search of a fortune and a castle. He had never resorted to whores, he left that for his son. So he had never really felt anything for any woman other than Joanna. Yet this woman lying by his side had something that appealed to him. She had looks, yes, but it was more than that. He couldn’t really pinpoint what it was that had awaken a sort of attraction to her.  

 

As he watched her sleep naked next to him he started to feel pity for her. She had indeed lost everything she considered sacred: her husband, her children, her house, and now apparently, her last shreds of dignity. She was shaking and trembling in her sleep. _Some dream she must be having._ He took a closer look at her and could see damage this war had done to her. He could see how tired she was. She had a violent red scar on her back where she had been hit by the arrow at the Twins and her hands were marred for life, especially the left one which she could never fully close nor open. Even in the dark of night he could already see a few strands of grey hair mixed with her thick auburn mane. She had undone the braid and her hair flowed freely over her back. Absentmindedly he started stroking her hair until his eyes closed.  

 

He woke up at the crack of dawn, as was his custom. He felt a strange soft sensation in the palm of his hands and rapidly opened his eyes when he realized he was resting his fingers on a woman’s breast. _Catelyn, my wife_. Not wanting to disturb her he got up and quickly put on his clothes and left the room. He had many things to do and he would be more efficient if he didn’t have to deal with her. Besides, he did not wish for his morning routine to be disrupted. He went to the stables and saddled his horse. He enjoyed riding in the early hours of the morning and breaking his fast on his own by the trees. This gave him the opportunity to be by himself and think without being disturbed. After his morning ride, he headed straight to his solar where he spent the rest of the day looking at maps and pondering on his future, his lands, the war and what this marriage and his son Tyrion’s to Sansa could eventually bring him.

 

Just before nightfall he decided to visit his wife to ask her join him for supper. After knocking on the door and getting no reply, he slowly opened the door only to be knocked in the head by a wooden stool. His wife stood before him, with an ornamental rock statue in one hand and a dagger in the other. She had obviously been planning this attack all day. She didn’t give him time to recover from the blow and she lunged at him with the knife slicing through his arm. She then slashed upwards and he felt the skin on his cheek part in two. Before he could get up she ran past him and down the stairs. _Is she stupid? Does she really think she can escape?_ He saw her turn the corner at the landing of the staircase and shouted for the guards to stop her. A guard appeared in her way and she stopped dead in her tracks, yet not fast enough to avoid the fist to her face. As she lay sprawled on the floor a second guard appeared and she curled into a protective ball.

 

“Stop, don’t hit her again” Tywin ordered his guards. “Take her to the Maester to have her face looked at and then lock her in her room. Tell a handmaid to bring her supper and not to leave lady Catelyn’s chambers until she has finished every crumb on her plate”.

 

He made his way to his study to see to his wounds. He was not used to letting other people tend to him, and he could perfectly well deal with a bruise on his head and a cut on his cheek. _Stupid, stupid woman._ He had his supper brought to his study and stayed up reading before going back to their room. He had decided that they would share a room, just like he had done with Joanna.

 

When he entered the room she was sitting by the window with her back to the door. She was already in her nightgown and her gaze seemed lost in the darkness outside. Slowly she turned around and faced him. Her face sported an angry bruise right below her left eye. Her eyes were red and her face was puffed.

 

“What you did was stupid” he told her coldly, “don’t ever do it again.” He traced a finger lightly over her face. “Did the Maester see to your eye?” he asked her more softly. She just nodded and looked down. “What were you looking out the window?”

“Nothing” she replied.

“Well, then I suggest we go to bed. Seeing as you’re already in your nightgown let me get my nightclothes.”

 

He walked to his wardrobe and changed clothes. When he turned around she was already in bed under the covers with her face towards the window. He climbed and lay down next to her.

 

“Good night” he told her as they lay on the bed back to back.

 

TBC


	5. Catelyn II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> After the incident the previous night, here's Catelyn's point of view ...

_She was running through the mud. They were circling in on her. She could hear the wolves in the distance, howling, crying. She could hear the horses, their hooves splashing on the wet soil. She was losing ground. She looked at her hands, they were red. Through the rain she could barely see the forest and almost tripped numerous times on various roots and fallen trees. She had nowhere to go and they were almost upon her. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice “Cat, come here, over here”. It was Ned. He was waving. He was standing at the entrance of a cave. “Come here, they won’t find you. We’re all here”. And there they were, sitting by the fire all her children. But she couldn’t see their faces. She turned around and Ned was gone. She was all alone again with the storm raging outside the cave. “Come back!” she tried to yell, but no sound came out. She was paralyzed. Just then a tall figure appeared at the entrance of the cave, his black silhouette lit by the lightening outside. “Ned!” she tried to yell, but she could only manage to gasp. “Ned!”_

And her eyes jerked awake. _Oh Ned_. She could hear Tywin’s soft snores next to her. She suddenly felt very warm. She wanted to get up and get away from that place. She vividly remembered what had happened the night before. She had attacked him and tried to run away. She could kill him now, and nobody would be able to stop her. How could he trust her again? But here he was, sleeping next to her, unprotected. This man puzzled her.  He could have had her punished, beaten or even imprisoned. Yet, not only had he forgiven her, but he had also protected her from the guards. What did he want with her?

 

He was no Ned, not even close. If it weren’t for his grandson, maybe her Ned would still be alive. She wondered if his bones had reached Winterfell. Well, whatever few bones they had given her. They never gave her Ned’s head. Was he resting next to his father, his brother, his sister and the rest of his family? And even if he was, what was the point? Winterfell had been destroyed. Her whole family had been destroyed, mostly at the hands of the Lannisters.

 

 _Robb, oh Robb. I saw you die. No mother should see that._ She vividly remembered his face as he lay on the floor, bleeding, dying. He looked so confused. She had wanted to run to him and comfort him the way only a mother can. The way she should have done with Bran. _But I also left him alone. What kind of mother would leave a child alone in his time of need?_ She had always wondered what Bran might have felt waking up alone to find himself crippled and his whole family gone. _And Rickon. Did he think of his parents before he died? Did he know that I loved him very much?_ _And Arya, where are you my sweet wildling?_

 

Her life had been turned like a whirlwind, and her whole family gone under it. Her father was dead, her brother in a dungeon (or at least she hoped so), and her sister … _Lysa, what happened to you? We used to be so close as girls._

_Sansa is all I have …._ And it was the only thing preventing her from killing the man sleeping beside her, the man she considered responsible for her misfortunes. Staying with Tywin was the only way for her to see her daughter again.

 

She hadn’t realized she had been crying until she heard his voice and felt his arm around her.

 

“Can’t sleep?” he asked drowsily.

She meant to answer him, but all that came out of her was a whimper

“Let it out” he said softly and started stroking her back. “It’s all right to cry.”

 

She wanted to punch him and yell at him. _I hate you. I hate you. I hate you._ But she found herself curling protectively under his embrace. She needed comfort, but not his comfort, not from this man. She started to sob uncontrollably and she couldn’t stop the flood of tears flowing from her eyes. He rocked her as she trembled whispering soothing words into her ear.

 

When she woke up the following morning he was already gone. There was a basket with bread, boiled eggs, fruit and apple juice. A note was lying next to the basket: “I know you had a rough night. I hope you like your breakfast.”

 

_I hate him. What does he want? Does he really care about me?_

 

She avoided him the rest of the day. They were supposed to leave for King’s Landing the following day and she was sure he was busy with all the preparations for the trip. Besides, she wasn’t sure she was ready to face him. She opted for spending the day outside. She had to admit Casterly Rock did have beautiful gardens. And the sunny weather was a change from the rain and the fog she had been enduring for the past months. She wondered what the weather was like in King’s Landing. Was Sansa enjoying her day in the gardens, as well?

 

It was a little before sunset when she returned to the castle. She knew Tywin had been watching her from his window. She could see his head in the window every now and then. She had also spotted different people walking around the gardens looking in her direction and then returning to the castle right away. _Is he really concerned about me? Or is he afraid I’m going to do something stupid?_ In any case, she did not see him as she made her way to her room. When she arrived there was another basket with bread, bacon, a bowl of soup, a plate of boiled vegetables and a glass of wine. This time the note said: “I trust you enjoyed the gardens. I hope this food is to your liking. We are leaving tomorrow early for King’s Landing”. She was, indeed, very hungry, not having eaten anything all day. She wolfed down the food, took a warm bath and went straight to bed. She had to admit she was enjoying the comfort. The last few months had been very rough living in war camps and sleeping in tents. Even Riverrun had not been as luxurious.

 

She was still awake when he came into the room. Yet, she still was not ready to face him. She heard the rustle as he changed his clothes and climbed onto the bed next to her. _Please Gods, grant me pleasant dreams. I do not wish to break down in front of him once again._

 

 

 

They set off early in the morning. She was enjoying riding through the countryside along the Goldroad. Most of the war had been fought to the west and the north of Lannisport, so the area surrounding the city was still quite prosperous and calm. They passed by small towns and farms and she could see people going about their business as they rode by. After the destruction and devastation she had witnessed in the Riverlands, this tranquility seemed very unreal. Tywin had insisted she travelled in the carriage, but she was adamant she wanted to ride. He had tried to show her around and tell her about the different places, but she would just nod politely and ride off. Riding a horse made her feel free. It made her feel she had options and that she was in control.

 

Closing in on King’s Landing the landscape started to change. Empty villages and rotting corpses by the side of the road reminded everyone that there was indeed a war going on. The war was all but over, with her side having lost tragically. Yet here she was, riding along with the winning party and going to a wedding. But at least she would see Sansa again. Thinking about her daughter was the sole motivation that kept her going. _We’ll be together again, sweetling. I’ll see you soon my darling._

_TBC_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think so far.  
> Thanks.


	6. Tywin IV

“Father, welcome to King’s Landing” said Jamie Lannister. “How was your journey?”

“Too long” replied Tywin getting off his horse.

“Where’s you new wife?”

“I had one of the servants take her to Sansa’s chambers. How are the preparations for the wedding? I have read Tyrion’s reports on the budget for this wedding. A bit lavish, won’t you think? Seventy seven courses? What the hell does Tyrion think he’s doing? It’s my money.”

“It’s not Tyrion, father. It’s Cersei. She insists on every coin being spent on her son’s wedding.”

“I wonder what his father would say”

“Father …”

“Jamie, you are a member of the Kingsguard. For all I know you have never fathered any children. How’s your hand?”

“Still missing. Apparently the Maester still hasn’t found a way to make it grow back”

“Well, sarcasm is not going to make it grow back either. Have you been practicing one-handed?”

“Yes, father. But I don’t seem to be making much progress.”

“You need to. I need you in the Kingsguard. I need you to protect Joffrey. That brat has got many enemies. Enemies who would love to see him dead. You, more than anyone, should make sure nobody harms the King.”

“Yes father. I train every morning and I believe in time my swordsmanship with my left hand will be almost as good as it was with my right hand.”

“Good. I have something for you. Come with me.”

 

They continued walking until the got to the Keep. Jamie followed his father up the stairs to his chamber. There, on the bed, was a case. It was gold with the Lannister lion in crimson engraved on the lid.

 

“I had this made for you” said Tywin. “Open it.”

 

Jamie opened the clasp and marvelled at what he found inside. “Father, I can’t wield it, yet. It’s beautiful” he said as he started inspecting the magnificent sword. “Valyrian steel. Impressive. Long and thick, yet flexible and smooth. Sharp. And the pommel, is this gold? Red rubies on the hilt. Where did you get the steel and the rubies?”

“I have my connections. The valyrian steel belonged to another sword. I had it re forged.”

“What did the previous owner say?”

“The previous owner had some strange ideas about Joffrey’s parentage.”

“Ned Stark. I’m honored. Does your new wife know? She might want to claim it”

“She doesn’t know and there’s nothing to claim. Learn to fight so you can put it to good use.”

 

The city was buzzing with activity. Everybody was busy with the wedding preparations, and truth be told, he was tired of everybody asking him for his opinion and waiting for his approval. _It’s just a bloody wedding_. A very expensive one, which he was footing. _Who needs seventy-seven courses? Only that useless daughter of mine and her brat._  

 

He hardly saw his wife the rest of the day, but he did spot her talking to her daughter and that brute of a woman Jamie had brought with him. He could only imagine the joy Catelyn must be feeling, and found himself feeling happy for her. The woman certainly deserved a little respite.

 

She was already in bed when he came into the room. “I see you spent the whole day with your daughter. I trust you had a good time together.”

“I did, my lord, thank you.”

“I’m happy for you , Catelyn”

She opened her eyes wide and half opened her mouth as if to say something but remained silent for a few moments. “Thank you” she eventually said.  

 

 TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was very short ... but the Purple Wedding is coming up next!!


	7. Catelyn III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading.  
> Here's the Purple Wedding ... with a twist ...  
> Hope you like it.

The great day had arrived at last. Everybody was excited. Well, most people were excited. Catelyn did not really share the excitement and the joy. _It should have been my daughter’s wedding. But I’m glad it isn’t. … We would have joined Houses with Robert Baratheon, Ned would be Hand, Sansa would be Queen, I would be sitting next to Ned and dragging him to the dance floor when the music started. He would dance with me just to humour me, I know he would. Robb would be dancing with the ladies, Bran and Rickon would be running around with Prince Tommen. Arya would be pestering her brothers, even the bastard Jon Snow would probably be here … But Robert is dead, Ned is dead, Robb is dead, Bran and Rickon are dead, Arya is gone, Sansa has been married to that lying Imp, and I’m sitting next Tywin Lannister._

 

She wished she could go to her chambers with Sansa. Her poor daughter looked so uncomfortable. Apparently she held her new husband in great regard. She had said Tyrion had not touched her, and for that Catelyn was grateful. From what she could see, they seemed to enjoy each other’s company. With each passing day she felt less and less angry at Tyrion. And now she watched as her daughter had to suffer the indignities thrown at her husband by that spoilt little brat, King Joffrey. After hearing everything Joffrey had put her daughter through, she was more than ready to put a sword through his heart. He was being excessively rude today to his uncle, the Imp. Surely there was no need for such degradation. Yet, it was only himself and his mother who seemed to be enjoying this show of utter lack of class. Cersei was all smiles and even joined in the jest. His grandfather, however, and much to Catelyn’s relief, seemed to be most irritated. And so were most of the guests.

 

It was such a lavish event with such show of opulence that it had actually made her sick. She could not abide by this sort of gloating display when she had seen so much poverty outside the city gates and she had witnessed first hand all the destruction and devastation this war had left in its wake. _To hell with the Iron Throne and this stupid wedding._ She really wished she could silently go away, grab her daughter and disappear from this snake pit that was the capital and the Lannister clan.

 

So distracted was Catelyn in her own thoughts that she almost missed the cake. It was a huge five-tier cake iced in what appeared to be lemon and berry frosting. Joffrey lifted his brand new sword (a wedding gift for the King, but she could not recall who it was from) and violently sliced through the cake. He mustn’t have known there were live pigeons in the pie, otherwise he wouldn’t have done it. Or maybe he did know. With Joffrey you could never be certain.

 

What took place next happened so fast she barely had time to process it. The King was choking on a piece of cake. Queen Margaery was calling for knights and doctors. Cersei was kneeling in front of her boy. Jamie came running and kneeled next to her. Everybody was stunned. Tywin stood up and calmly walked towards his grandson. She glanced at Sansa and saw her walking towards the table. She saw her daughter picking up a goblet and wondered what was indeed going on. She saw Cersei crying and clutching Joffrey’s limp body. For a moment she felt for the woman, remembering herself not long ago standing dazed in confusion at Lord Walder’s Hall watching her last living son crumble to the ground. Yet the scene changed in a matter of seconds. Cersei’s eyes were throwing daggers at Sansa and then she whispered accusingly “You!” and pointed her finger at Sansa. “Guards!” she yelled “Arrest Sansa for the murder of my son, your King!”

 

Sansa stood still as Catelyn bolted from her seat. She ran to stand in front of her daughter as if she could shield her from the guards with her own body.

 

“Lady Catelyn, please stand aside” one of them said.

“No. No. No!” she chanted hysterically. “You’re not taking her”.

“Please stand aside” he repeated more forcefully this time and started to push her away.

“NO!” she cried adamantly.

“Catelyn” said her husband in a soft but authoritative voice, “let them do their job. Stand aside. Let them escort Lady Sansa. We’ll take care of this later.”

But she would not move. Tyrion stepped forward this time and stood protectively next to Sansa.

“You will treat my wife with respect” he told the guards. Then he turned to his wife. “Go with them, Sansa. I’ll take care of this. No harm will come to you.”

Sansa’s head kept turning from her mother to her husband to the guards with a look of utter confusion.

“Lady Catelyn” urged Tyrion “let her go, we’ll take care of this. I promise. I will let no harm come to your daughter. Please.”

 

Catelyn moved aside and watched as the guards took her daughter into custody. She stood paralyzed as they took Joffrey’s body away. Cersei had to be dragged out of the feast and she kept screaming all sort of obscenities and kicking at the guards. The rest of the guests saw it prudent to retire as well, and soon there was practically nobody left but a few curious stragglers who were eventually ushered away by the members of the Kingsguard.

 

Not knowing where to go, Catelyn started walking around the castle pondering what to do and trying to piece together what had just taken place. Her daughter couldn’t have done this. _She’s innocent. My sweet-natured baby did not do this_.

 

“Lady Catelyn” a guard caught her attention. “Please come with me.”

“Are you taking me to see my daughter? Is she all right?”

“Please, come this way” he replied.

“Where are you taking me?” she cried louder this time

“Please come this way” he repeated. “I have orders from Lord Tywin.”

 

She was taken into a small chamber furnished with a large table and eight chairs. A meeting room, she guessed. Sitting at the head of the table was Lord Tywin, and next to him Lord Tyrion.

 

“Where is my daughter?” she asked them forcefully.

Tywin motioned for the guard to leave and then turned to her. “She has been arrested and taken into custody. As we speak she’s being held in a room in the West Tower. No harm has come nor will come to her. We will look into this issue and will try to determine her innocence, as well what happened to my grandson.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, my lord” she replied curtly as an empty afterthought.   

“I’m sure you are” snorted Tyrion. “Especially after the way he so gallantly swept Sansa off her feet and treated her for the length of their betrothal. Did she tell you what he did to her? What he had the guards do to her? How they stripped her? How they beat her? How he made her look at her father’s head as it rolled and was set on a spike? How he taunted her and threatened her? How he-

“Stop it!” she cried. “Yes, she told me. And, honestly, I’m not sorry he’s dead. He deserved to die, a lot more than my son Robb, who was a just and fair King. A lot more than my sons Bran and Rickon who were innocent children. A lot more than my daughter Arya. He was a despicable human being!”

“Careful there” Tywin warned her.

“Yes, he was the King” added Tyrion sarcastically. “Everybody loves a King. Unless you are a Mad King, or a Cruel King. Oh, but not our sweet and tender Joffrey.”

“Tyrion, enough” his father warned him. “We’re not here to talk about Joffrey, but about Sansa. Please, take a seat, my lady” and he motioned for Catelyn to sit.

“Sansa told me you were good to her” Catelyn addressed Tyrion as she sat down in front of him. “That in a place where she felt utterly alone and at times when she needed comfort, she could always count on you. You have my gratitude Lord Tyrion.”

“Just doing my duty as a husband” he replied noncommittally.

“I feel I need to apologize for kidnapping you and taking you to my sister’s.”

“Yes, fond memories” he replied sarcastically.

“I’m sorry now, but in retrospect, I had more than ample reason to kidnap you. You also have my gratitude for returning Ned’s bones to me. Yet, I noticed his sword Ice was not in the chest. A beautiful longsword in Valyrian steel, hard to find these days. Or maybe not so, as I happened to notice Joffrey’s new sword was also made of Valyrian steel. It must be more abundant in this part of the continent than it is in the North.”

“Lady Catelyn, stop it, don’t go there”

“Really, where else shouldn’t I go? What about your empty promises? When you returned Ned’s bones to me you promised you would give me my daughters. Yet you had no idea where Arya was and you ended up marrying Sansa. She has nothing but kind words about you. But you broke your promise to me.”

“No, I didn’t. I was forced to marry her” and he glanced sideways at Tywin. “And to be honest, it was the best thing that could happen to her. Not because of my fair looks and my physical prowess, but because I was the only one who gave a damn about her. And believe me, if I could have returned both girls to you, I would have.”

 

She closed her eyes and tried hard not to cry. “She’s innocent. She couldn’t have killed Joffrey. You know her my lord. You have seen her. She’s so sweet and innocent. She wanted to come to King’s Landing so much. She had always dreamed of princes and princesses, of knights and tournaments, and songs and stories. She was so excited to be betrothed to Joffrey, only for it to turn into the worst nightmare. But she didn’t kill him. I’m sure” she pleaded. “I’m sure”.

“Catelyn, you need not fret” Tywin spoke unemotionally. “No offence, but the girl’s not cunning enough to have done something like this. At least not alone. It’s not in her nature. There are other elements we need to consider. The Martells have always hated the Lannisters and were looking for a chance at revenge; Oberyn is a master of poisons. The King in the North was killed, maybe the Northerners were trying to even the score. Also, what do you know of your uncle Brynden, my Lady, the one they call the Blackfish?”

 

Many theories were brought to the table. Maybe Oberyn Martell had finally succeeded in avenging his sister and her children, so many years later. But it was Tywin and the Mountain he wanted, not Joffrey. Besides, what did they have to gain? The crown would still go to the same family, as Tommen is the next in line. The Tyrells were social climbers by nature, ambitious and greedy. Lady Margaery wanted a crown on her head no matter what. If Balon Greyjoy had been King of the Seven Kingdoms she would have married him, had said Tyrion. She had married “King” Renly, but he was killed. She was marrying King Joffrey, and now she will probably offer to marry King Tommen. Her grandmother was a great mastermind, she rivalled Tywin himself on that account. Maybe she had seen Joffrey for what he really was and decided he was not good husband material for her granddaughter and that Tommen was much sweeter and kinder. Also, Tommen being younger and more innocent made him a lot easier to manipulate. It was a big risk, but not one the old Queen of Thorns would not be willing to take. Yet, it was the last theory that Catelyn relished the most: that her own uncle Brynden had orchestrated Joffrey’s murder to avenge Robb’s. It did not make sense, though. Nobody knew where he was and the Northern army had been all but annihilated. It was too soon for them to regroup and scheme something like this without being noticed.

 

After the meeting was over, Catelyn asked for permission to go see her daughter. She hurried down the hallways, through the gardens and up the stairs of the West Tower. She was surprised to find Jamie Lannister and Brienne guarding the door to her daughter’s cell.

 

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her feeling of betrayal seeping through her tone. “Are you afraid she might try to escape? She’s not a dangerous criminal. Brienne, I expected better from you.”

“No, my lady” she replied. “We’re guarding her door making sure nobody hurts her. She’s all right. I talked to her just a few minutes ago and brought her supper. She’s very confused, but she has not been harmed”

“Lady Stark” added Jamie “I made a promise to you that I would give you back your daughters. Unfortunately when I returned to King’s Landing I learned of Arya’s disappearance. You yourself had disappeared for a while, presumed dead, only to reappear married to my father. Sansa had been married to my brother, which, to be honest, was the best thing that could happen to her, given the circumstances. I found myself unable to fulfill my vow to you. The best I can do is make sure she is not harmed until this whole mess is over.”

“Thank you” replied Catelyn with a sigh of relief “to both of you. Do you believe she did it? Do you think she’s capable of killing Joffrey?”

“No, my lady” replied Brienne softly and Jamie nodded in agreement.

“Ser Jamie, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry about your hand. Brienne told me about your trip back to King’s Landing and how eventful it was. She also told me how you saved her life at Harrenhal. Thank you, that means a lot to me.”

“My pleasure. The wench was good travelling company and I missed her, that’s why I went back for her” he said winking at Brienne.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to see my daughter”

“She’s not to receive visitors, but we’ll make sure you are not disturbed.”

 

She nodded gratefully at both Jamie and Brienne and slowly opened the door. Though she was not surprised, the scene that greeted her almost broke her heart. She knew Sansa would be upset, most likely crying, but it was still a difficult thing for a mother to bear; to see her child, her last living child, so utterly devastated. For a cell the room was comfortable enough: small but spacious enough for Sansa to be able to walk around, there was a cot, a small pail, a table and a stool. There were two small windows, one facing west, allowing the afternoon sun in, and the other one facing east, overlooking the bay. Sansa was lying on the cot and sat up as her mother came in

 

“Sansa, my sweeltling, how are you feeling?”

“Oh mother!” she cried and Catelyn ran to her embrace. “I don’t know what’s going on. They said I killed Joffrey, but I didn’t. I swear I didn’t!”

“I know my sweetling, I know.”

“I don’t want to be in prison. I don’t want to be executed. Oh, mother, I’m so afraid” she kept sobbing into her mother’s arms.

“We’re doing everything we can to get you out of here”.

“Who’s we?”

“Your husband Tyrion, he seems sincerely concerned about you. I believe he does love you sweetling.”

“He’s been very nice to me. He has helped me a lot and has been very sweet. And, as I told you, he hasn’t forced me to do .. anything”

“Good. Also, my husband, and I believe Jamie Lannister and Brienne, as well, will do everything they can to get you out of here.”

“Brienne has been very kind, and so has Jamie”

“None of the people I mentioned believe you did it..”

“But not the Queen.”

“No, honey, not the Queen.”

“She hates me mother, I don’t know why. At the beginning I thought she was lovely. She was beautiful and had the grace I thought a Queen should always have. But then I got to know her better. She’s horrible mother. I’m scared of her. She’s merciless and she always gets what she wants.”

“Not this time, sweetling, I promise. Soon you’ll be free and we will leave this city.”

“Where will we go? I cannot go with you since I’m married now.”

“Don’t worry about that now.”

“You know, as I was watching Joffrey and Margaery getting married, I couldn’t help but think _Thanks the Gods that’s not me_ ” she smiled. “It was supposed to be me, but I’m so glad it wasn’t.”

Seeing her daughter smile filled her with a sense of relief and she smiled at her. “You know, the same thought crossed my mind”, Catelyn laughed.

“He would have made a terrible husband. He would never treat me the way Father treated you.”

“Your father loved me, and I loved him” she replied with a sad smile.

“Oh, mother. Why has our family suffered so much? Father’s gone, all my brothers and sisters are gone. What if they kill me? You’ll be all alone.”

“They won’t kill you honey, they won’t” and she hugged her daughter even harder. “You know, you looked beautiful today. You have grown into such a beautiful young woman.”

“Tyrion said I looked pretty. He’s always complimenting me, but I don’t know if he means it or if he’s just trying to humour me.”

“From what I’ve seen I think he means it. He’s a decent man.”

“The Queen chose the dress for me.”

“So she’s a harpy with good taste” Catelyn said and they both giggled.

“Shae, my handmaiden did my hair. She’s very talented. Tyrion chose her for me. And the hairnet. Did you see the hairnet?”

“Yes, it was beautiful. Where did you get it?”

“This knight I told you about, Ser Dontos, he gave it to me. He said it was a family heirloom. He was giving it to me as a token of our friendship.”

“Is this the one you told me was trying to help you escape?”

“Yes. He has been very nice to me. … Everybody complimented me on how I looked” she continued with a childlike tone that reminded her mother of their time in Winterfell. _Oh Gods, she’s still a child, why have you made her grow so fast?_

“Indeed, you looked beautiful today”

“Even Lady Olenna, you know, Margaery’s grandmother, said so. She loved the hairnet, she said. And all the ladies were complimenting me on my dress and on how much I had grown. I complimented them, as well. Just as you had taught me. I was a proper lady”, she smiled proudly. “You also looked very beautiful mother. I don’t remember seeing you in such a fancy dress before.”

“Well, it was always colder in Winterfell, so I was always wearing cloaks over my dresses. I have to admit, this weather is much nicer.”

 

She spent the best part of the evening talking to her daughter and reassuring her that all efforts were being made to get her out of the situation. She really enjoyed spending time with her daughter in spite of the circumstances. She had missed her all this time, just as she had missed the rest of her children.

 

 

She was already in bed when Tywin entered the room.

“You were no where to be seen for a good part of the evening. Don’t tell me where you were. I trust you were not doing anything you were not supposed to or that is not permitted” he said as he changed into his night clothes. “We have new developments in the matter of Joffrey’s death. The poison used to kill him is very rare, difficult to obtain, but not impossible for someone who knows how to deal with poisons.”

“Do you think it was Price Oberyn?”

“No, I talked to him. He didn’t do it. A body washed up at the beach earlier today. A Sir Dontos. He used to be a knight until one day he disgraced himself in front of Joffrey. He was about to be executed when your daughter intervened and saved his life. He became the court’s fool then. This was back when they were still betrothed.”

“Sansa mentioned him. Apparently he was trying to find a way for her to escape. She said he had promised to get her out of King’s Landing and take her to Winterfell. But he never came through with his promises.”

“Nor would he ever. He was stalling. He was actually working for someone else, we discovered. We searched his chambers and found a ledger with money sent to him monthly and detailed descriptions of all his conversations with Sansa. Don’t worry”, he added when he heard her gasp “nothing to be concerned about. Did you happen to see Sansa’s hairnet at the wedding?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact I did. It was a very beautiful piece of jewellery. Sansa said Ser Dontos had given it to her as a token of his worth.”

“Well, the jewel is worthless. Yet, what was inside the stones was priceless.”

“What are you saying?”

“The hairnet was not his. It had been sent to him with a purpose. He gave Sansa the hairnet so she would wear it to the wedding feast. The poison was hidden in one of the stones.”

“No!” she exclaimed enraged. “Sansa would never participate in the murder of Joffrey!”

“No, not knowingly. They used her. She unwittingly provided the poison that killed Joffrey, but she did not give it to him. That still remains a mystery.”

“So, she’s innocent. You have to let her out!” she cried

“No, not quite. We cannot prove she did not administer the poison and she was indeed involved”

“But you said it yourself, she did not know it!”

“Yes, I know. But that’s not how it looks. She had plenty of reasons to want to be rid of Joffrey, more than anyone at the feast. My son and I have come up with a plan that might be beneficial to many parties. If we go to trial she will be found guilty and executed. She will need to ask for a trial by combat. The court will choose the Mountain as the champion.”

“But he’s unbeatable” Catelyn interrupted.

“Maybe, but not for a man whose main purpose in coming to King’s Landing was to kill the Mountain. We have already spoken to him. Oberyn will be Sansa’s champion. Tyrion has assured me he would make sure Ser Clegane is not fully fit to fight. That way, Prince Oberyn will kill the Mountain, he will quench his thirst for revenge and your daughter will be freed. We still need to find out who orchestrated this whole charade, who is behind Ser Dontos’s ledger. Do you like the plan?”

“Yes” she cried ecstatically “Yes. Oh, thank you very much. Thank you!” she cried again and leaned forward to embrace Tywin and kissed him on the lips, chastely at first, more hungrily the second time.

“Catelyn?” he asked taken aback by her sudden display of lust. “You don’t need to repay me like this. Not if you don’t want to.”

“I’m sorry my Lord” she replied as she blushed “I don’t know what came over me”. She removed her hands from his body and started to turn around.

He grabbed her hands and forcefully held her still. “You don’t need to be embarrassed. Do you want to?”

“Yes” she replied so softly it was barely a whisper. She realized she did want him.   _Oh Gods, Ned, please forgive me._

“I’m sorry our first and only time together was not to your liking. It was not to my liking either. I’ll make it up to you this time, I promise” he smiled and slowly started to kiss her lips.

 

 TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think?  
> Comments are appreciated.  
> Thanks.


	8. Tywin V

The trial had been a farce and he knew it. He had appointed the witnesses and members of the Council himself: Prince Oberyn, who was already in the know, Mace Tyrell, as the Tyrells had to be appeased somehow, and, of course, Tywin himself.

 

Given all the evidence the poor girl seemed doomed to a guilty verdict. People were yelling all sort of obscenities to her, from “Kingslayer” to “murderous whore”. He felt bad for the girl, and he tried very hard not to look at the girl’s mother. She had looked so grief-stricken when Sansa was brought to the courtroom in chains, even when she already knew what the outcome was going to be. How come he had never felt anything remotely similar towards his children? Was he a heartless father or was she an overprotective mother? Maybe it had to do with the fact that she was a woman. Women are usually softer, although Catelyn seemed to be stronger than she appeared.

 

“Silence in the room” he yelled authoritatively to the unruly crowd. “Sansa Lannister, do you have anything to say in your defense?”

“Yes, I’m innocent” she pleaded.

“Kingslayer!” the crowd started shouting at her.

“Silence or I’ll throw you all in jail on the grounds of public disorder” roared Tywin

Yet, it was not Tywin’s threat that halted the commotion, but Sansa’s next words.

“I demand a trail by combat” she said fiercely, just as they had agreed.

“Very well. The Council will take your demand into consideration. Court is dismissed”

 

Twyin, Oberyn and Mace Tyrell moved to the adjoining room.

“Well, what do you make of her demand?” Tywin asked them.

“She’s probably guilty, that’s why she is trying to avoid judgement” replied Mace Tyrell.

“Maybe so” answered Oberyn. “If we accept her demand, who will be our champion?”

They spent a few minutes throwing names for possible champions and analyzing different options. Both Tywin and Oberyn tried to make this discussion believable for the eyes of Mace Tyrell. He was not very bright, but they still needed to be careful for their plot not to be discovered. Eventually it was agreed the Mountain would be the Court’s champion. 

“In that case, I volunteer to be Sansa’s champion” said Oberyn. “My sister and her children will be avenged.”

“What if you don’t win?” asked Tywin

“Well, then justice will be served, Sansa will be executed and I will no longer have a thirst for vengeance. I will no longer have a thirst for anything, I presume”.

“Very well. It shall be done. The combat will take place in two days.”

 

The next two days were spent preparing for the combat. It was to be a big event to calm the crowds after their King had been murdered. He had entrusted his son Tyrion with the task of slowly poisoning the Mountain - albeit not too much, since Oberyn did not want to be robbed of the joy of slaying him, but enough to make sure he was not at the best of his wits.

 

The combat ended up being an impressive event. Meals and drinks were served, there were singers, performers, jugglers, everything to appease the unruly masses. The verdict was a foregone conclusion, most people thought. Even Cersei had said so. After this combat they would be rid of the Stark girl and the obnoxious Prince Oberyn Martell and all his tirade of vengeance and justice, she had said. Tywin nodded and walked past her to sit on the grand chair at the top of the arena.

 

The fight proved to be very entertaining. The Mountain, dizzy as he was, provided an impressive show of strength and prowess. Oberyn’s style was different as he depended more on grace and speed. His movements were agile and he kept the Mountain constantly on the move, plus his constant blabbering about justice for his sister was starting to unnerve Clegane. He kept asking the Mountain to admit to raping and murdering his sister Elia Martell and then killing her children, as if the Mountain even cared for that one woman he had killed all those years ago. They kept exchanging blows. Some hit the target, some didn’t, but The Mountain was slowly starting to tire. Finally, Oberyn was able to thrust his spear into the Mountain’s exposed leg. A bone crushing thud could be heard and the Mountain collapsed in a heap. Oberyn wasted no time and pierced him on the right shoulder, thus impairing his sword-swinging arm. 

 

“Do you yield?” he asked. “Tell the crowd about my sister. Elia Martell. You raped her and killed her. And then you killed her children. Admit it. I have found justice for my sister. Tell us that you killed her. Do that and I will grant you a quick death.”

“Your sister?” Clegane said with blood trailing down his mouth. “Yes, I killed her. But not before I raped her and ravished her. She suffered, a lot. I made her cry. I made her beg. I ripped her in two. First with the sword between my legs. I ripped her tiny body apart when I penetrated her. Then I hacked her to pieces with my long sword. Is that what you want to hear Prince? Yes, I destroyed her, and I enjoyed it” the Mountain was stressing every single word of his speech as the crowd listened intently.

 

Oberyn took one last swing and removed The Mountain’s head from his body and the crowd gasped in shock. Whether the shock was at the fact that Oberyn had won the fight or at Clegane’s nasty depiction of the murder Tywin could not say. But he was glad everything was going according to plan. Sansa would go free, Oberyn would be satisfied and off his case for good, and best of all, his hands would be clean, as always.

 

“Sansa Lannister, the Gods have deemed you not guilty of the crimes you had been accused of. You are free to go.”

 

Catelyn ran off to where her daughter was and dragged her out of the arena before the guards could get to them. Tywin felt it safe to let them go when he saw lady Brienne and Jamie accompanying them. Those two had got awfully close together. _I hope Jamie remembers he’s a member of the Kingsguard. What he sees in that ogre of a woman is beyond me._

 

“You should go to your wife” he told Tyrion.

“Yes, I should, but I have a feeling she prefers her mother’s company at the moment.”

“Then come with me. We need to talk” and he ushered his son to his solar.

 

“What do you need to talk about father?” Tyrion asked sitting at the table and pouring himself a glass of wine.

“Several things. Tommen for example. I guess we all knew Joffrey was not going to last. He was not fit to be King and had made too many enemies with his brutality and acting like a spoilt brat.”

“Did you use those words when giving your condolences to your daughter?” Tyrion interrupted.

“The people seem to like Margaery well enough” Tywin continued ignoring his son. “We need to steer Tommen in the right direction to be a good King. He’s a nice boy, he needs to toughen up a bit, but not to the extent of his brother. I’ll be going back to Casterly Rock with my wife. You’ll be going to Winterfell. Sansa is the rightful Warden of the North and that title is now yours by right of marriage.”

“I never thought I would reach so high”

“Everything is a joke to you, isn’t it? I have worked very hard for this family, to get us where we are now and to secure our future. Westeros is ripe for the taking if we play our cards well. You will go to the North, put the Boltons in their place, rebuild Winterfell and rule the North for us. And please, put a baby into your wife’s belly for fuck’s sake! Jamie will stay here to protect and guide Tommen, he will be appointed new Hand of the King. And your sister will marry into the Tyrells. I have already made all the arrangements for her to marry Willas. She will depart King’s Landing in a week.  We will forge an alliance with them and secure the south to our cause. Plus, we have Myrcella in Dorne. I have won this war and I will reap the benefits.”

“Wow, father, I’m impressed. Does Cersei know about the crucial role you have reserved for her?” Tyrion asked wondering if his father knew the real reasons why he had sent Myrcella to the Martells all those months ago.

“No, not yet. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go talk to your brother and then your sister.”

 

He found Jamie standing guard at the doorstep of Sansa’s room together with Brienne and beckoned to him to follow him into his study.

“You have become very close to this woman, Lady Brienne”, he started.

“Yes, and you’d better pray she never hears you calling her a Lady”

“So, she’s not a Lady, she’s definitely not a man. What is she?”

“A wench” he smiled dryly. “Sorry, private joke. She’s a very good knight, braver, smarter and stronger than most.”

“You do realize that as a member of the Kingsguard you cannot marry her, not even bed her.”

“Father, we have a different sort of relationship. I’ll never bed her, and I don’t think she wants me.”

“She a lesbian?”

“No! I don’t think so. We have never talked about it.”

“Anyhow. As you know, Tommen will become King. Coronation will take place next Sunday. Soon after I will leave for Casterly Rock, your brother will go to Winterfell and your sister to Highgarden.”

“I am aware.”

“You’ll stay here. I need you to protect Tommen. You will be appointed Hand of the King. Do not let him turn into Joffrey. I trust you to make the right decisions. I trust your judgment to raise him as good King.”

“A fair and just King? Committed to his people?” Jamie asked raising his eyebrows.

“A good King”, he replied matter-of-factly. “We need to cement our position if we are to start a long-lasting dynasty. Joffrey was the wrong stepping stone, I believe Tommen will be more fitting. But he needs guidance and counselling. This is where you come in. You will be his most trusted advisor and his mentor.”

“I loved Joffrey. I also love Myrcella and Tommen. I could not protect Joffrey, but I will do my best for Tommen.”

“Good”

“One more thing. If I remove my white cloak, the Kingsguard will be a knight short. We need to appoint a new guard”

“You seem to have someone already in mind. I’m listening …”

“Brienne. She has all the qualities to make an excellent Kingsguard. She will guard Tommen better that I ever will.”

“Because she did an excellent job with her King Renly, she made sure you got to King’s Landing in one piece and protected her Lady Catelyn” replied Tywin sarcastically. “She’s worthless as a knight and uglier than a swine. What do you see in her?”

“I see the values I thought I had lost. She is the perfect Kingsguard. She would forsake her wellbeing for the sake of her guard. She will do the utmost sacrifices for what she believes is right. And she will be my right sword when I can only wield the left. She will guide me in the right direction with Tommen if she sees I’m veering off course.”

“Very well. She will be appointed at the Coronation ceremony.”

 

 _Two down, one to go._ He headed straight to his daughter’s chambers, where he thought he might find her.

“I wondered how long it would take you to come talk to me” she greeted him accusingly, her words slurred through an alcohol induced haze.

“Not long enough apparently, you’re still half sober.”

“How dare you? First you stage this sham of a fight. Yes, don’t think I didn’t realize. There is no way that scrawny Prince Oberyn can overcome the Mountain. And now you’re shipping me off to Highgarden to marry a cripple. Everything is falling into place, isn’t it? The Mighty Tywin Lannister. You plan for everything and nothing can go wrong. You get the North with Tyrion and the Riverlands through that wife of yours. You kill her family and then lead her to your bed. You get rid of me and you steal Tommen from right under my nose.” She was yelling by now and Tywin felt he was reaching the end of his patience.

“Are you done? You should be packing. I was going to spend a nice afternoon with you telling you about your upcoming nuptials, but I guess somebody beat me to it. Let me guess, Tyrion? I didn’t know you two got along so well. Of course, not as well as you and Jamie.” He saw the slap coming and forcefully grabbed her wrist before it reached his face. “Don’t you dare. You’re staying for the coronation ceremony and then you’re going to Highgarden”

“You can’t make me. I’m the Queen”

“Regent. Queen Regent, until Tommen comes of age, and then sweet Margaery Tyrell will be Queen, while you will remain Lady Tyrell at Highgarden. On the positive side, you’ll be a stone-throw away from Myrcella. Now, I suggest you sober up and start making arrangements for your trip to the South. Then with a bright smile on your face you’ll show up for the Coronation where Tommen’s betrothal to Margaery will be announced, as well as the appointment of Jamie as Hand of the King and Jamie’s new friend Brienne to the Kingsguard. You will keep wearing that smile until you board the ship to Highgarden. Is it understood?”

“Leave!” she yelled. “Leave now!”

He was just quick enough to duck before goblet hit his head. He glared at Cersei and then slammed the door.

 

 

 

Joffrey’s wake lasted five days. People poured from all corners of the city to pay their respects to their fallen King. All the Lords, Ladies and dignitaries honored the late King and proclaimed how good a King he had been: fair, just and honorable. Tywin had his doubts about their sincerity, considering Joffrey had executed and imprisoned many people and ruined the lives of many others. Of course, taking credit for saving the city from Stannis’s invasion goes a long way. People’s memories are fickle and selective.

 

With one King under the ground, it was time to proclaim a new King. After the fiasco of Joffrey’s wedding ceremony, Tywin had decided the Coronation should be more of a low key event. The Throne Room was decorated with Baratheon and Lannister banners, but no gold or statues. Nothing that would remind people of Joffrey’s pompousness. Tommen sat on the Iron Throne with Margaery Tyrell to his right and Cersei to his left. In his capacity as Hand of the King, the task of officiating the ceremony fell on Tywin himself, so he made all the necessary announcements and appointments.

 

“Margaery Tyrell, please rise” and he motioned for the girl to stand up. “Your are to wed King Tommen Baratheon when he comes of age and become the rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms .”

“Thank you my Lord” replied the girl. “The will of the Seven shall be done”

“And now, for my final announcement,” he addressed the audience “I will step down as Hand of the King and retire to my position as Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West. Ser Jamie Lannister, please rise. You are hereby appointed as the new Hand of the King.”

 

The crowd clapped and cheered as Jamie stepped forward and Tywin proceeded to remove the Hand pin from his coat and place it on his son’s chest.

“Thank you my Lord” said Jamie. “The will of the Seven shall be done. It is my duty and my pleasure now to make the final announcements. Brienne of Tarth, please rise.” She approached the dais and kneeled down in front of Jamie, who unsheathed his sword and tapped her on both shoulders. “You are hereby appointed as a member of the Kingsguard. It is your duty and your honor to protect the King and the Queen. You shall forsake all other vows, but the one that binds you to your King. You shall wear this white cloak like the skin over your bones. You may rise” Then he proceeded to cover her with the white cloak of the Kingsguard.

“Thank you my Lord. The will of the Seven shall be done.” She turned to Tommen and said “Your Grace, my sword is yours, my life is yours.” Tommen smiled politely and Brienne stepped down and took her place among the other members of the Kingsguard.

 

“Last but not least” continued Jamie “Lords and Ladies gathered in this hall today, it is my great honor to present you King Tommen Baratheon, First of his Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm. May the Crone grant you wisdom to rule justly and fairly over us. May the Mother grant you mercy and watch over you. May the Maiden share her purity and love with you. May the Father grant you justice and the power to impart justice over us. May the Warrior grant you strength and courage. May the Smith labour for you and your Kingdom for as long as you shall rule. The Will of the Seven shall be done.”

“The Will of the Seven shall be done” repeated the crowd before breaking into cheers and clapping.

 

“Nice ceremony, don’t you think?” Tywin asked his wife as he escorted her out of the Throne room. “Simple, not too lavish, to the point.”

“Yes my Lord. It was very enjoyable” replied Catelyn noncommittally.

“But ….,” he prompted.

“It’s just that, with Joffrey dead, Sansa’s trial finished and Tommen being appointed as the new King, there’s nothing left for us here. We are to return to Casterly Rock, aren’t we?”

“I didn’t think you’d miss this city so much” he replied confused.

“No,” she smiled “it is not the city that I will miss. We’ll be going west to Casterly Rock and Sansa will be going North. I have just got my daughter back and now I’m going to lose her again.”

“I see” he said pensively. “Well, you will not lose her. You’ll know exactly where she’ll be. She’ll be home, and you can visit her whenever you want. And she will always be welcome to visit us at Casterly Rock. She’s my daughter on two accounts: she’s the daughter of my wife and the wife of my son.”

“Thank you my Lord.”

“Catelyn, you should stop calling me My Lord. You’re my wife, you can call me Tywin. That’s what Joanna called me. Did you use to call Ned My Lord?”

“Only when I was angry at him” she smiled sheepishly.

“I hope you’re not angry at me. You certainly didn’t seem angry these past few nights” he smiled.

 

He had never liked King’s Landing. He couldn’t stand the stench of its streets, the boisterous noises emerging from the houses and shops and most of all, he hated the rudeness of its people. Even the sea was on the wrong side of the city. Lannisport was a different sort of city. Being smaller and less populated, Lannisport never bred the sort of mob that dwelled on the streets of King’s Landing. He missed the aromas of the markets, he missed the silences of his gardens, he missed watching the sun set on the western sea, but most of all, he missed his Rock.

 

Thus, it was with no regrets that he stood by his carriage and watched Catelyn’s tearful embrace with her daughter as they all prepared to leave. Sansa and Tyrion would take the Kingsroad all the way to Winterfell. Now that the war was over, it was safe to travel by land again. In turn, he would be taking the Goldroad back to his beloved Casterly Rock with his wife. She was slowly approaching the carriage walking next to that brute ogre Jamie had befriended.

 

“Take care of yourself, Brienne” his wife said.

“You too my Lady. I will be eagerly awaiting news from you, and I shall reply to your letters as well.”

“Please do so, and let me know how you like being a member of the Kingsguard. You have earned this, Brienne. And please do come to visit as often as you like. I enjoy your company and will miss you very much.”

“I shall, my lady. Please have safe trip back home” Brienne said and kissed Catelyn’s hand.

 

Tywin could not comprehend these two women. According to some rumours, though he himself did not subscribe to that theory, Catelyn had murdered Renly, Brienne’s alleged unrequited love. Then they had escaped together and became best friends. Catelyn had trusted her with returning Jamie to King’s Landing in exchange for her daughters, a quest doomed to fail from the start. Not only had she failed, but she had also befriended her prisoner, Catelyn’s enemy. And now she was a Kingsguard sworn to protect the brother of the boy who had killed Catelyn’s husband. Why would they be swearing eternal friendship? _Women and their folly! I won’t waste my time trying to figure out that swine of a woman, I have enough trying to understand my own wife._

_TBC_


	9. Catelyn IV

As she sat next to Tywin in their carriage she tried to put King’s Landing behind her and enjoy the scenery through the small window: green fields that stretched for miles on end and blue rivers crisscrossing the land. She closed her eyes and made a mental map of Westeros.

 

To the South lay Dorne and Highgarden. She couldn’t care less about those two. Cersei, may she rot forever, was now on her way to Highgarden. Dorne was house to the Martells. She would be forever grateful to Prince Oberyn for freeing Sansa. But she could not forget other events and other people from the south. Ashara Dayne had been from Dorne and her bones were still there. The doubt would always linger in the back of her head. Had her beloved Ned betrayed her with this Ashara Dayne? She would never know. No need to go there anyway. Not now, not ever. 

 

To the East lay the Eyrie. What had happened to her sister, she wondered. They used to be so close as girls. Then she had flat out refused to help her and Robb. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but she considered Lysa partly responsible for Robb’s death. Why hadn’t she helped when they had asked ? The men of the Vale stay in the Vale, she had said. And now she was in the clutches of Petyr Baelish _. I hope she’s happy_.

 

To the North, Sansa and her beloved Winterfell, ancient Seat of House Stark. She wished she could go there with her daughter. But she was a Lannister now, and so was Sansa. Winterfell, belonged to the Lannisters now. Further to the North was the Wall. Jon Snow, the bastard. How she had hated him. Well, not really him, but what he represented. He was the living proof of Ned’s betrayal. Though now, with Ned gone, that seemed so trivial and so little. She almost wished she could see Jon again, if only to catch a glimpse of Ned’s grey eyes, Ned’s solemn face and Ned’s dark hair. _Gods, why did he have to look like him so much?_

 

Coming South again by the Neck she saw the Twins and a silent shudder took hold of her for a second. She skipped and quickly ventured into the Riverlands. _Oh, my beloved Riverrun, will I ever see you again?_ Like most of Westeros, it was under Lannister rule. Kevan was Lord of the Riverlands now, though on papers it belonged to her. At least Edmure had been released and allowed to stay there with his new wife. _I hope you’re happy, and I hope we’ll see each other again one day._

 

And that brought her back to Lannisport and Casterly Rock. _Home_ , she thought wryly. _So the Lion has won. The wolves fought bravely, but we just couldn’t. We tried but we were bested through connivance and treachery. And this is my lot. Lady Lannister, married to the grandfather of the boy who killed my Ned and tortured Sansa, the father of the man who crippled my son and the woman who made my daughter suffer. Married to the man who orchestrated my son’s murder. Bitter pill to swallow, but if I decide to spit it I will never see Sansa again. She’s all I have left, and I can only have her through Tywin. … Tywin, sometimes I wonder about him. He really seems to care about me. He has gone to great lengths to make sure I feel content. He has actually been sweet to me on many occasions. I guess I have two options. I either learn to love him or live in hell for the rest of my life. And, as much as it pains me to admit it, I really don’t hate him as much as I know I should. After everything that has happened, he has actually been a source of comfort for me._

 

 

 

Life in Casterly Rock turned out to be much more pleasant than she had anticipated. The weather was much nicer than in Winterfell and she had a lovely view of the ocean from her window. She was really enjoying taking long walks along the beach and going horseback riding through the fields. Sometimes Tywin would join her and they enjoyed themselves a lot more than Catelyn would like to admit. But life was not all idle activities and basking in the sun. Tywin would let her join him on his council meetings and would actually welcome her input on many decisions. She was Lady Lannister of Casterly Rock now, and she was acting as such, much as she had done at Winterfell not so long ago, and even as a child at Riverrun after her mother had died.

 

“A raven has arrived my Lord, my Lady” Maester Aurus interrupted their supper.

“Let me see” said Tywin

“Actually, my Lord, it’s for the Lady” he said and gave the parchment to Catelyn who could not hide her confusion. Who could be writing to her? But for Sansa, most of her family was dead or, in the case of Edmure, a hostage.

“It’s from my sister” she started to read. “Oh Gods!” she exclaimed and could not stop her lips from twitching into a smile and then she was laughing with joy. “Arya is alive! She’s alive and she’s coming here!” she cried and gave the parchment to Tywin.

 

“Dear Cat,

A knight showed up at the Eyrie the other day. He was carrying a boy who claimed to be your daughter Arya. The child was indeed a girl who had been passing herself off as a boy during the war. The knight wanted gold in return for your child. I don’t know your daughter, so I sent him to Casterly Rock where I assured him he would be handsomely repaid if the girl was indeed who she claimed to be.

Love,

Your sister Lysa”

 

“The journey from the Eyrie should take at least two weeks” said Tywin. “When they get here, we’ll see what we do”

“What do you mean, we’ll see what we do?” yelled an outraged Catelyn. “She’s my child, she’s staying with me. We’ll pay the knight and she’ll stay with me. There is no negotiation on this matter.”

“Of course, that’s not what I meant” replied Tywin defensively. “When they get here we’ll see who this girl is. If she is indeed Arya, we’ll pay the knight and she will stay. If she’s not Arya, we won’t.”

 

Catelyn could barely sleep that night. Arya was coming home. _My baby girl is coming home._

 

But there was another matter also pressing on her mind. Her moon’s blood had not come. She was almost two weeks late. She would go to see the Maester in the morning, she decided. She had mixed feelings about this child. On the one hand, she felt her motherly instincts come back to her. She would carry a baby in her womb again and hold a baby in her arms, something she did not think possible after everything that had transpired. When she had last said goodbye to Ned, she had hoped to carry his child once again, yet, she had her hopes yanked away from her in some of the cruellest ways. Not only had she lost Ned, the only father she could ever consider, but she had also lost all her children, although thankfully the Gods had thought it fit to give her back the girls. Not exactly, she thought belatedly. Sansa was alive and well but far away, and now there was only a chance that Arya might be coming back to her. But she had lost all her boys. She didn’t want to dwell on it too much; how she had seen Robb fall to the floor with arrows jutting out of his body, his eyes searching for her as he died, and her two babies killed by a person they trusted, their sweet small bodies burned and left hanging for everybody to see. She suddenly wished this baby was a boy. Yet, on the other hand, she would be carrying a Lannister baby, Tywin’s. He had been very good to her, and she actually felt she was starting to love him, but she could not forget who he was. The only reason he married her was to have an heir. Once she delivered this baby, what would become of her? If it was a boy, like Tywin wanted and needed, she would no longer be of any use to him.

 

Sleep evaded her and when it did come it was fitful and full of dreams. When she woke up, Tywin was still sleeping. She got up and decided to go straight into Maester Aurus’s study before breaking her fast. Just as she had anticipated, the Maester confirmed that she was pregnant. Absentmindedly, she found her way back to her chambers and found Tywin already breaking his fast.

 

“You left early” he remarked.

“Yes, I had to see the Maester.”

“Are you nervous about your daughter?” he asked concerned.

“Yes, I am. I hardly slept last night” she smiled wryly. “But there is also another thing. Something that concerns you as well. I am .. well, … I am with child.”

“Are you sure?” he asked masking his feelings so well Catelyn was not able to gauge his reaction.

“Yes, my Lord” she replied not really knowing what to feel.

“You don’t seem pleased or exited” he remarked.

“I .. I am .. it’s just … it’s confusing” she said. He motioned for her to sit down at the table next to him. “Before Ned left Winterfell I had hoped to carry another child with him. But it was not so. Then when I saw him in King’s Landing, Petyr took us to his brothel so we could talk in private and we shared a bed before we said goodbye for the last time. This was all before Littlefinger betrayed us both and this bloody war started. Again, I had hoped to carry his child, but it was not so. When news came of Ned’s execution I was devastated. I swore never to love another man and never to carry another man’s child. But after losing my children, I think I would welcome another one. I know, I haven’t lost them all. Sansa is alive, but I won’t see her very often. And Arya, well, we’re not sure it’s her yet. And besides, they are grown girls now. I don’t really get to hold them and hug them as I would like to. Plus, I’m getting old, this might be my last chance. So, yes, I would love to have another child.”

“But it’s not Ned’s” and she winced at his words. “You said you would never love another man nor have any more children. And yet, here we are, you have shared my bed, returned my kisses and now you’re carrying my child. Do you want my opinion?”

“Yes”

“When Joanna died, I was devastated. Irrationally I blamed Tyrion for it. Just like you, I swore I would never love another woman. And for many years I didn’t. Until I realized I needed an heir and that I needed you to be able to control Westeros as I wanted. Yes, at the beginning you were a mere tool for my plans. But I have grown to love you. I am indeed pleased you are carrying our child. I shall cherish him or her as much as I cherish you now. We’re family now. With this child and Arya, you will get back part of the family that was ripped from you by this war. And who knows? Maybe this is just the first of many. Maybe we’ll have two or three or four, and we’ll watch them grow playing in the gardens and then they will take care of us when we are old and wrinkled.” She smiled and then that smile turned into a contagious laughter.

 

 TBC


	10. Catelyn V

She was counting the days until she could see Arya again. It took ten more days for the knight to finally show up at the doors. He was allowed into the castle and shown into the Main Hall where Tywin was sitting in his high chair and Catelyn sat by his side. When he removed his hood, there was no mistaking who he was. That burned face was his signature, the Hound, Sandor Clegane. But Catelyn only had eyes for the child: dirty, scratched face; short, messy, unkempt, greasy hair;  callous hands with long uneven nails;  ragged and ripped clothes full of stains, stinking of waste, death and rain. This couldn’t be Arya, it must be just an orphan boy from the war he picked up on the way. _This can’t be my Arya, but please Gods, let her be Arya. Please_.

 

“Child, please step forward” Tywin said authoritatively.

As the child approached them Catelyn was apprehensive. She looked at her face and knew it instantly. Those solemn, ice grey, northern eyes could only be Ned’s.  

“Gods be Good! Arya!” she cried. She stood up to hug the girl but was stopped instantly by Twyin.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am. This is Arya! My daughter!” and she jumped out of her chair and went to her daughter.

“Mother?” the girl asked apprehensively.

“Yes! Yes! Arya, you’re home!”

“Child, who is this man?” Tywin asked the girl.

“My name is Sandor Clegane” he interjected before Arya could speak. “I was in service of King Joffrey until I got fed up with his stupidity and left. I’m a free dog. I don’t serve any master now. I found this girl, protected her and brought her home. Don’t take my deeds as a token of my good heart. I want my gold.”

“You should be executed for treason”

“But I won’t, because I have brought your lady wife’s girl back home.”

“My Lord, please. Just give him the gold and be done with him. Please” Catelyn whispered quietly into his ear.

“Very well” Tywin said aloud “you shall be repaid handsomely for rescuing Lady Arya Stark. After that, you are to leave the grounds. Should you be found within the limits of the city walls you will be arrested for treason.”

 

Catelyn rushed down the hallways taking Arya with her. She just wanted to be alone with her long lost daughter out of the prying eyes of strangers. These people wouldn’t understand how she felt, and she needed Arya all to herself.

 

“Arya, sweetie, I’m going to run you a warm bath” she said and stepped briefly out of the room to ask the chambermaid to prepare a bath for her daughter. “My sweetling, how I have missed you! Where have you been?”

“Many places. I saw them take off father’s head, I was taken prisoner, I had to run away, I saw dead people lying by the side of the roads and rivers, I saw what they did to Robb’s body” she was listing all these atrocious acts like they meant nothing. “I have killed men, you know?”

“Oh, Arya, Arya! I’m so sorry. I should have been with you.” _Oh Gods, the things she must have seen and done in order to survive_. She couldn’t stop her arms from roaming over her daughter’s body afraid that if she stopped touching her she would disappear.

“I’m sorry I cut my hair, Mother. I know you like it long.”

“Your hair? Oh my sweetling, don’t worry, it will grow” she smiled. “But meanwhile, what do you say we wash this grease and slime off.”

 

Her heart sank when she started taking the clothes off her daughter. Bruises and scars everywhere. She had fleas on her clothes and her skin was full of bites. She looked so skinny and tiny. When the tub was ready they stepped into the bathroom. Catelyn took her time bathing her daughter, not so much for hygienic reasons, but because she was really enjoying this quiet moment soothing and comforting her daughter. When Arya deemed herself clean she stepped out of the tub and her mother gave her a towel.

 

“I don’t have any clothes” she realized.

“That’s all right” Catelyn told her daughter softly. “Tonight you’ll borrow one of my nightgowns, and tomorrow we’ll try to find clothes for you.”

“Why did you marry Tywin Lannister? I heard he killed Robb.” Arya asked her mother as she put on the borrowed nightgown.

“Oh, my sweetling. So much has happened. When I received news of your father’s execution, I was heart-broken. I cannot even imagine what you must have felt having witnessed it. I was with Robb and we were in the middle of a war. Robb had made a promise to the Freys, that he would marry one of his girls. But he fell in love with another and broke his promise. In the end it was agreed your uncle Edmure would wed a Frey girl, and we all went to the Twins for the ceremony.”

“I was just outside. I could hear the music.”

“Oh, Arya. Thank the Gods you didn’t go in. They would have probably killed you.”

“But they didn’t kill you.” Her mother did not know what to make of that. She could not tell if it was an innocent question or an accusation.

“No, they didn’t, but at the time I wished they had. They kept me alive so I could marry Tywin. He had this grand plan to control Westeros which included marrying me so he could get his hands on Riverrun. He has Riverrun through me and Winterfell through Sansa, who’s married to Tyrion”

“Why did you accept?”

“I fought it at the beginning. I even attacked him with a knife”, and she smiled at the memory of that incident, “but then I realized it was the only way I could see Sansa. And now you have also returned to me. So I don’t regret marrying him” _And you’ll soon have a brother or sister_ , she wanted to add, but not yet.

“Have you seen Sansa?”

“Yes, I have” she smiled. “I saw her at Joffrey’s wedding.”

“Is it true she killed that piece of shit?”

“Arya! Your language!”

“What? He was a piece of shit”

“Yes … he was … But Sansa didn’t kill him. We had to fight to get her acquitted”

“What’s _a quit_?” Arya asked confused.

“Acquitted” her mother smiled “means that you did not commit a crime and you don’t have to go to jail.”

“Was she in jail?”

“Only for a short while.”

“I see … so now you’re married to Tywin?”

“Yes, sweetie. I will never forget your father. But this is the best option I could find.”

“Mother, I’m sorry you had to suffer so much.”

“No, honey. I’m sorry you had to suffer. I’m a grown woman, I can take it . You’re just a child. My child. … And there’s something else” _Here goes …_

“What?”

“I’m pregnant” 

“Is it father’s?” she asked excitedly and her face lit up.

“No, sweetheart. I wish” she answered with a pang in her heart at the palpable disappointment set in her daughter’s face. She was also a bit worried at how bad Arya had calculated time, she probably had no idea how much time had gone by since she had left Winterfell all those moons ago. _She’s still a little girl_. “It’s Tywin’s.”

“Did he rape you?”

Taken aback by her daughter’s question she simply shook her head and replied “No” and waited to see her daughter’s reaction.

After a short uncomfortable silence she asked “Do you love him?”

“It’s difficult. I know the sort of man he is. I know what he has done. But on the other hand, he saved me, though not through the pureness of his heart, I know. And it’s thanks to him that I was able to see Sansa and you. People change, my love. Circumstances make people change. He’s been really good to me. We have spent a lot of time together. I will never forget your father and I will never stop loving him, and neither will you. But that does not mean we cannot start over.”

“Is he going to be my father now?” she asked confused.

“No, honey. Your father will always be your father. But you can grow to like Tywin.”

“Will we see Sansa again? And Jon?”

“Maybe. The war is over now. We could always go visit Sansa or she can come here. As for Jon, I guess we could go visit him at the Wall one day.”

“So, I’m going to have another brother …”

“Or sister”

“I already have a sister, but I have lost all my brothers.”

“Nothing will take the place of your brothers, but we can learn to love this new baby.”

 

They spent the rest of the evening talking, playing and bonding like they had rarely done in Winterfell. Arya was not the sort of girl who needed cuddling and motherly hugs, but tonight she did. And her mother was more than happy to oblige.

 

 TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Tywin's reaction to Arya and the Hound ...


	11. Tywin VI

Having Arya back might complicate things a bit. First of all, she was another heir to Winterfell should something happen to Sansa before she and Tyrion had a child of their own. Also, she had a small claim to the Riverlands. The title of Riverrun belonged to his wife, Catelyn Tully, by virtue of birth. However, with her living in Casterly Rock as Lady of Casterly Rock, Tywin’s own brother Kevan was ruling from the seat at Riverrun. They had allowed Edmure and his Frey wife to live there, but he had no power at all. He knew Catelyn still clung to the hope that one day Riverrun would be Tully again, Edmure’s most likely. He might give her that. Should Kevan die he might evaluate what sort of man Edmure was and whether he would stay loyal to the Lannisters. But that was not a pressing matter at the moment. Arya was. What should he do with her? Well, there was not much he could do about it; the girl would have to stay. It might also complicate things with his wife. Just when he thought he had finally won her and was tearing down her Stark walls, a Stark reminder comes into play. _Bloody Starks._

 

What should he do with this Hound? He had abandoned his King in the midst of battle. He was a traitor. And now he had complicated his existence by bringing this child back. How did he manage to escape King’s Landing in the middle of a battle, roam around the war-stricken Riverlands, get to Eyrie and then all the way to Lannisport without a hitch? He had promised he would pay him and let him be on his way. But he couldn’t do that. If word got around that Lord Tywin Lannister had forgiven a traitor for a little girl, his reputation would suffer. He was successful because he was mighty. He was mighty because he was feared. Nobody crossed Tywin Lannister or his family and lived to tell the tale. His mind was set.

 

“Ser Celgane, please come this way” and he led him into a small chamber at the back of the Main Hall. He motioned for three of his guards to follow him and then locked the door. He went into his cabinet and came back to the table carrying a chest of gold. “How much would you think is enough? Four thousand? Five thousand? Ten thousand?”

“Ten thousand would be enough” the Hound replied never removing his hand from the pommel of his sword.

“Distrustful man, are you? Here I am repaying you for bringing my wife’s daughter home safely and you still won’t let go of your sword. See? I am not armed.”

“No, but they are” he said pointing at the guards behind him

Tywin finished counting the gold, put it in a bag and handed it to the Hound. “Here you are”, he said.

 

The minute Clegane reached out for the gold, he motioned for his guards to attack. Three against one should be no contest. Yet, the Hound was not an easy dog to put down. Before the three guards pounced on him, he was able to unsheathe his sword and lashed out at one of the men. Tywin could hear the clang of the swords clashing and the grunts and shrieks coming from the four men in the melee. One of the guards was out for the count having lost his sword arm and now leaned uselessly against a wall. Another guard suddenly fell with a huge gash on his stomach, his entrails spilling all over the floor in a mass of dark red, blue and black. His desperate cries for help fell on dead ears as one guard was still fighting the Hound, the other one was clutching his stump on the right arm, and Tywin was looking for a chance to finish off The Hound. He found said chance when Clegane pushed the last guard to the wall and was so focused on his enemy that he did not see Tywin coming from behind. His sword pierced The Hound’s back and exited through his sternum. Clegane still had enough strength to turn around and menacingly wield his sword at Tywin. The other guard recovered quickly and stabbed the Hound again, and again, and again, until he finally fell to the floor.

“Fuck the Lannisters” were his last words.

 

Disgusted, Tywin ordered the chambers cleaned and had the Maester see to the guard who had lost his hand. There was nothing to do for the other one. He wondered what his wife and her daughter were doing. He really didn’t feel like being with them at the moment. They would be crying and hugging and doing all sort of emotional women stuff and he really wanted no part in that. Besides, he reckoned Catelyn would rather spend time with her daughter alone without him prying around. He kept himself busy until it was time to go to bed.

 

The scene that greeted him when he opened the door took him by surprise. He had made sure Arya was given a room for herself, so he was not expecting to find her asleep on his bed, cuddled protectively against her mother who was also sound asleep. Careful not to wake them, he quietly stripped and put on his nightclothes. He decided to use the plush armchair by the window and fell asleep to the sound of the soft snoring coming from the bed.

 

He was awaken by somebody shaking him softly and quietly speaking to his ear.

“Tywin” his wife whispered. “Wake up. Sorry. I fell asleep with Arya and did not take her to her bed. She wanted to sleep with me, and to be honest, I did not want to part with her.”

“That’s all right. You can stay together. I’ll be fine here.”

“No, come to bed. The bed is big enough for all of us.”

“I can’t”

“Please” she insisted.

 

And that’s how morning found them: the three of them cuddled up in bed. Catelyn on one side of the bed facing Arya, who was sleeping in the middle snuggled tightly in her mother’s arms, and Tywin on the other side of the bed with one arm draped over Arya, his hand caressing his wife’s back.

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the end. ... Just one more chapter to go.  
> Thank you all for reading.


	12. Arya I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading.  
> This is the last chapter. It's just a letter Arya writes to Sansa wrapping up everything that has happened and leaving the door open for what the future might bring. 
> 
> I hope you like it.

_Dear Sansa,_

_Believe it or not, I miss you my dear sister. I miss your stupid songs and stupid stories about knights. I miss your stupid embroidery lessons and your stupid dresses and the stupid brushes you used to brush my hair with. But most of all I miss you._

_Mother has told me all about you. How you were a prisoner in King’s Landing after father died. I was there, you know? I saw you plead for his life and I saw you faint after that stupid Joffrey had father’s head cut off. I wish I could have been there with you. Who knows, maybe together we could have done something and stopped Joffrey, or maybe we could have stopped the war. But we’ll never know._

_Mother says that you suffered greatly at the hands of the Queen and Joffrey. I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think I abandoned you. When the riots started and father was arrested I was ouside the city and I couldn’t get back in. Then, after father’s execution, a man father knew took me under his protection. He was on his way to the Wall and was going to take me to Winterfell. I tried to get back to you. I had Needle with me, you know, my sword, and I thought that maybe together we could fight our way out and go home._

_Mother told me that after the war started and Robb started to win, Joffrey took it out on you. That stupid son of a bitch. And that they forced you to marry the Imp. Out of all the Lannisters I met, he seemed the best one. I liked him when they visited us in Winterfell. I also liked Tommen and Myrcella. I didn’t know the Kingslayer very much. Well, I guess the only ones I didn’t like were Cersei and Joffrey. I had a list of people I wanted to kill, you know? and those two topped my list. I’m glad Joffrey’s dead, I’m just sorry it was not you the one who killed him. But Tyrion is all right, I guess. I hope he treats you well. Mother says he is a decent man and cares for you._

_You’re probably wondering how I came to be at Casterly Rock with Mother. It’s a long story, with knights and battles. But not like the ones you like. There are no princesses here, nor romantic rescues. When that man Yoren was taking me and a whole bunch of other men to the Wall we were attacked by Lannister soldiers. I thought they were looking for me, but they were looking for Gendry. He was one of Robert’s bastards and we had become friends. We managed to escape, together with two other friends I had made, Lommy and Hot Pie. We were then caught by some soldiers. They killed Lommy and took us prisoner. I’m not exactly sure where we were or who had taken us. We seemed to be changing hands every so often and everybody seemed to be somebody’s enemy. Whoever won a battle came and claimed the prisoners. In the end I managed to escape again and was caught by some bandits, but they were good bandits. One of them knew father. They were going to take me to Robb. But then they changed their minds and I escaped again only to be caught by the Hound. He said he had saved you from a mob in King’s Landing. I hated him because he had killed Micah, the butcher’s boy, but then he was not that bad. He protected me and took me to where mother and Robb were. But we were too late. They were at the Twins for the wedding of Uncle Edmure. I was outside and I could hear the sounds and the shouts. I thought both Robb and Mother were dead, and so did the Hound, so he took me to Aunt Lysa at the Eyrie. He wanted to sell me for gold, but she didn’t want me. Fortunately she told the Hound that Mother was alive at Casterly Rock, so he brought me here. Tywin paid him and he went on his way. I hope I never see him again. I still hate him for killing my friend, but he saved my life._

_So, that’s how I came to be here. I’m going to live with mother. Overall, she seems happy, and seeing her happy makes me happy too. I have caught her crying many times, she thinks she can hide it from me, but I can tell. I think she misses father and the rest of the family. This war has taken a toll on her. She looks older and sadder. But Tywin looks like a decent man. I had met him briefly before. He is good to Mother and they are going to have a baby. Mother is very excited about the new baby. You can already see mother’s belly. I remember when Rickon was born she was huge. Maybe you can come here when the baby is born. I hope it’s a boy. I already have a sister, you, but I have lost all my brothers. Mother says a new brother will not replace the ones who are gone. And if it’s a girl I will play with her and take care of her the way you did with me when I was little. I hope she treats me better than what I treated you._

_Sometimes I wonder about the people I met during this war and the people who have died. I know Father died because I saw him die. I also saw Robb’s body the day after that stupid wedding, so I know he’s dead too. But what about the rest? For example, I thought mother was dead, but she’s alive and I’m here with her. I was afraid you had died as well, but you’re fine. Do you think Bran and Rickon are really dead? Maybe they escaped and are running through the forest scared and alone, just like I was. Do you think Jon is alive? I’m going to send him a letter at the Wall. If he’s all right, maybe he can come visit us. Maybe he can go visit you, since Winterfell is closer to the Wall. Every night I wonder about the friends I made. I know Lommy’s dead, but I didn’t like him that much. I wonder how Gendry and Hot Pie are doing. I liked them a lot._

_Sister, please stay in touch. I really want to see you. Mother says the baby will come in a few months and that she’s going to invite you then. I hope you can come. I miss you, and please know that I love you, even though I didn’t always show it._

_Love, your sister,_

_Arya._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's not really an "ending". Most of my stories do not have a real ending, just an end to some specific plight and then present a sort of new beginning. I guess for the characters in this story the new beginning would be: Cat and Arya living in Casterly Rock being part of the Lannister clan with a new baby on the way; for Sansa life back in Winterfell as Lady of the House and also Warden of the North together with Tyrion; for Brienne life as a member of the Kingsguard being really close to Jamie ... I leave it up to you whether they will see Bran and Rickon again or meet up with Jon. 
> 
> Please let me know what you thought of the story in general and the ending.
> 
> RE-EDIT NOTE: Originally, this was the end. But as I was re-editing the story, I decided to continue with it. Next: Sansa's reply to Arya's letter.
> 
> Again, thank you very much.


	13. Sansa I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have re-posted all the previous chapters re-edited. The plot has largely remained the same, but some things, some of the details and many of the lines have changed. I also tried to get rid of as many mistakes and typos as I could.
> 
> As I was re-editing this story, I decided to continue with it. This is Sansa's reply to Arya's letter. I might add more chapters ...

_Dear Arya,_

_I was so glad to receive your letter. I can’t believe you’re home! And safe with mother! No hard feelings sister. I would never blame you for what happened to me. I know that if you could have helped me, you would have._

_Tyrion and I are slowly settling down in Winterfell and he’s getting accustomed to life in the North. Fortunately we did not encounter much trouble on our way to Winterfell. Tyrion was a bit resisted at first, especially when we first entered the North. When we passed by The Neck we were actually attacked by some disgruntled Crannogmen, but then everything was settled by Lord Reed. Howland was a good friend of Father’s and he gave us safe passage through The Neck. Once we passed by Moat Cailin we met some disbanded gangs of Ironmen. They gave us a bit of trouble but were swiftly dealt with by Tyrion’s soldiers. I really don’t know much what happened to them, or how it was done, but I know the Ironborn are quickly being removed from the North. I think Stannis had a lot to do with it before we even got here. Unfortunately for Stannis, he decided to attack Winterfell in the middle of a snow storm and was crushed by the Boltons._

_It was not until we arrived at Winterfell that we had to deal with the Boltons ourselves. I really had no idea of what I would find once we stepped through the gates of Winterfell. I had heard so many stories of how Theon’s men and torched the place, how the Boltons had torn it down, how the Bastard of Bolton was abusing the people here. The first thing we did was to make the Boltons leave. Tyrion asked peacefully at first. Roose Bolton had already left for the Dreadfot leaving his son Ramsay Snow in charge. Ramsay refused to leave so our soldiers had to storm the gates to get through. Ramsey expected the people of the castle to stand by him, but when they saw me and my Stark direwolf banners they immediately changed sides and Ramsay was easily subdued. Once we had dealt with the Boltons here, it was just a matter of making our hold of Winterfell official. We sent notifications to the all the Houses in the North informing that I was the new Lady of Winterfell and Wardeness of the North. Tyrion decided it might go down better with our people if the name Stark came before Lannister, given the history of our families. We held a meeting here a few weeks past with a tourney, a feast, dancing, etc. the likes of which Father used to hate and Mother used to love. All the important Houses were invited and they all came: the Mormonts, the Karsarks, the Cerwins, the Glovers, the Umbers, the Tallharts, even the Dustins. The Dustins had been working with the Boltons and it is a known fact Lady Dustin has always hated Mother and Father, but now they had no choice but to accept us. Roose Bolton was removed from the Dreadfort and his nephew Rickard is Lord of the Dreadfort now, loyal to the North and Winterfell. The North is slowly falling back into Stark hands (and Lannister, I should add)._

_There’s something else I need to tell you. When Ramsay Bolton was taken to the dungeons, we found someone we didn’t expect there. He went by the name of Reek, and honestly, he did reek and stank of waste and grime. He was missing a few fingers and teeth, and I’m afraid other body parts, as well. His skin had lost its color and his hair was white. He looked like a hundred years old. You’ll never guess … Theon Greyjoy. I wanted to put him to death immediately for the murders of Bran and Rickon, but he started speaking. Apparently he was betrayed by  his own people and, for want of a better word, enslaved by Ramsay. I couldn’t care less about that, but I did care for something else he had to say. He said he never murdered Bran and Rickon, that they ran away with Hodor, a wildling and the Reed children. Our little brothers may still be alive!! I have sent search parties throughout the North and sent ravens to all the Houses from Deepwood Motte to Karhold and Greywater Watch to Last Hearth to be on the lookout for them. Hopefully we’ll find them soon._

_On our journey North we brought some recruits for the Night Watch. We have written to Castle Black and they are sending one of their men to pick them up. I hope it’s Jon. I know he would love to come back and I would love to see him again. We have lost a lot to this war. Both Father and Robb were killed. They killed Septa Mordane. I lost Lady and you’ve lost Nymeria. Jory was murdred. I have no idea what became of Jeyne, after Father was arrested we were separated and I never saw her again. Many of the people from Winterfell are gone or dead: Maester Luwin, Roddick Cassel, and others. Yet, in spite of all our losses I feel we may be starting to gain things again. I am home again. You are safe and so is Mother (whom I thought we had lost), Bran and Rickon are somewhere out there and we will find them. Jon is at the Wall and I have a strong feeling he will be the one to come to Winterfell to pick up the recruits, if not this time, maybe the next. I know I was not the best sister to him, but I really wish to hold on to what remains of our family, and he is family, regardless of his origins._

_I can’t really complain about Tyrion, he’s a good man. He was the only one to help me back in King’s Landing. And I guess his reward was to marry “the disgraced daughter of a traitor”. But I don’t regret it. I have come to love him, a lot more than I thought I would – and I think he loves me too. When we first got married, he was so gallant and so concerned about me, we never consummated the marriage; he said he would wait until I asked for it. We both thought at the time that would never happen. But being here in Winterfell, at home, away from the Lannisters (well, the bad ones at least), we began to truly care for each other. And yes, we have done it, and I have to say, for all he lacks in height he does not lack elsewhere. I can’t believe I’m telling you this! I’m so embarrassed – I know I couldn’t say this to Mother, let alone Father!!._

_I’m really enjoying being back home, showing Tyrion around Winterfell, the Godswood, Winter town, the hot springs and the pools, and how we used play when we were children. I can’t believe I’m saying this – it makes me sound so old and I’m only six and ten. Tyrion says I’m too young for everything that has happened so he actually lets me enjoy myself – to make up for my lost childhood, he says, but I know he is having as much fun as I am, if not more. He’s like a child at heart. You would love him, I know. His father has been pressing him to get me with child, but he doesn’t want to yet. He is afraid I’m too young (and I’m glad he’s not pressing me – I know Mother had five children but the fact that one day I will have to carry a child in my womb and deliver him into this world actually terrifies me)._

_So Mother is pregnant!! I don’t know what to say. On the one hand I’m happy for her, but on the other hand, I can’t help thinking of Father. But I would love to be there for when the child is born. We are making all the arrangements with Tyrion and we should be there in about four months. I can’t wait to see you and Mother and my new little brother or sister!!_

_Send Mother all my love._

_Take care._

_Love,_

_Your sister Sansa._

 

THE END (for now)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had origianlly finished the story in the previous chapter, with Arya's letter. I decided to add this chaper (Sansa's reply) and I might add others: Jon's visit to Winterfell, Sansa's visit to Casterly Rock with Tyrion, Catelyn having the baby, the Stark ladies getting back together again, Lannister father and son reunion ... maybe ...
> 
> Thanks for sticking around.


	14. Rickon I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This is an old story. It had originally ended with Arya’s letter to Sansa summarizing what had happened and wrapping things up (chapter 12). That was back in 2014. Then some months later, I decided to add another chapter. I wrote Sansa’s letter to Arya telling her side of the storyline. But that opened up a lot of loose ends that I needed to tie up. I had always felt this story was unfinished and had that sensation gnawing at me for the past couple of years. So, finally, I have decided to give this story a proper ending. In this chapter, we’ll see Rickon together with Sansa and Jon. And then we’ll go back to Catelyn and Tywin to finish things up. So, we’ll have this Rickon chapter (number 14) and then two more. 
> 
> Recap of the story so far, in case you don’t remember (most likely since it’s been a while):   
> Tywin has this great master plan to control all of Westeros. Catelyn is spared at the Red Wedding and sent to Casterly Rock to become his wife. Obviously, she is not happy about this and makes her feelings known (almost killing Tywin in the process). After their wedding they go to Kings Landing for Joffrey’s wedding to Margaery. The Purple Wedding happens, but with a twist: it is Sansa who is accused of murdering Joffrey, not Tyrion. Tyrion and Sansa have already been forced to marry by this point (just like in canon). After a trial she is acquitted of the crime. But, unlike canon, the trial by combat had been rigged and plotted together by Oberyn, Tywin and Tyrion. Oberyn killed the Mountain and Sansa was set free to go back to Winterfell with Tyrion as Wardens of the North. Meanwhile, the Hound shows up at Casterly Rock to sell Arya back to her family. Originally, he had taken her to the Eyrie to ransom her to Lysa, but Lysa sent him to Catelyn instead. So, that’s how Catelyn and Arya reunited. And now Catelyn has become pregnant with Tywin’s son – something both her and Arya are finding hard to come to terms with. 
> 
> Sorry for the long hiatus. Hope you enjoy it.   
> Thanks

**_ 14) Rickon I: _ **

 

_I like it here. It’s not as cold as Septa Mordane and Old Nan had said. They were just women and they were old, that’s why they thought Castle Black would be cold. And it’s not as scary as they said it would be. Travelling through deserted frozen lands with my crippled brother, Hodor, Osha and Meera and Jojen, THAT was scary!! We never knew if we were going to die and I kept thinking we would be attacked by grumkins and snarks – thank you Old Nan!! But we never were. ...But yes, we were tired, scared and starving by the time we found the fat boy. Or should I say, he found us. We were hiding in an abandoned mill when he burst in looking for shelter. We got to talking and he said he was friends with Jon. We got to more talking and that’s how he took us to Castle Black – to Jon._

 

“Rickon, come here!” Osha yelled interrupting his training with the dummy. “You shouldn’t be playing with swords like that, you’ll get hurt!” Osha had been taking good care of Rickon ever since they escaped Winterfell and Theon Greyjoy. She had become his mother-of-sorts, a fact Rickon both appreciated and resented. He was glad to have a caring woman like Osha who allowed him to be free while making sure he was safe. But on the other hand, he longed for his real mother and his real family. They had all abandoned him. _Father left with my sisters and Jon went his own way. Then Mother left, and then Robb. And they never came back – and they never will._ Fortunately, having found Jon again helped to fill that void somewhat. He still had his brother Bran and Hodor, and the Reed children were not that bad. And now he also had Jon. “Your soup will get cold” Osha called him again.

 

When he entered the Mess Hall, he saw Jon and Bran discussing and he even saw a hint of a smile on Bran’s face, something he hadn’t seen in ages. When he got closer he saw a letter on the table. He couldn’t read most of it, Maester Luwin never did manage to finish the reading lessons with him. But the few words he was able to make out were enough: _Sansa … Winterfell … Home … Safe … Mother ... Arya …_

 

“We’re going home Rickon!” Bran announced with glee.

 

 

As impressive and exciting as it was, he was not sorry to leave the Wall. He was going home, back to his family. Bran and Jon had tried to explain all the details of what Sansa had said in her letter. There was not much he could fully comprehend, but what he did understand was enough to lift his spirits and get his hopes up. Apparently Sansa had not married Prince Joffrey as she was intended to but the short Lannister. He remembered him, he was funny. She had come back with her husband to Winterfell and rid the castle and the surrounding lands of the Ironborn. They had also restored peace and rooted out the Boltons, who apparently had come to loot Winterfell after Theon and his men. The letter also spoke about his mother and Arya and how they were both safe living with the Lannisters. He saw Bran and Jon exchange worried looks about this but decided not to ask. His mother and sister were alive and safe, that’s all he cared about.

 

“I cant believe we are all going to go back home again. We’ll be a family again!” Rickon exclaimed excitedly giving his horse a kick to make it go faster.

“Whoah! Slow down boy!” Jon instructed him.

“But I want to get home as soon as possible. To Sansa, and Arya, and Mother. I can’t wait for all of us to eat together in the Hall as we used to. Can we have Osha stay as well? You like her, don’t you Jon? We can all be family!”

“Osha is good” Jon said softly. “And you’ll be with Sansa. And of course Bran and Hodor” he finished with a sad smile.

“And you?”

“No, Rickon. I’m not staying home. I’m a Man of the NightsWatch now. I guard the realms of men” he added with a pompous glint in his eye meant to alleviate Rickon’s visible disappointment.

“But you’re not staying with us” Rickon replied matter-of-factly.

“No, Rickon, I’m not. I’m sorry, I can’t. But you’ll see your sister again. Sansa will be more than happy to have you back. And Bran.”

“She’ll be happy to have you back too!” he pleaded with faint hope.

“I know she will, but I can’t. I’ll stay for as long as I can, but then I have to return. But I’ll be close. Castle Black is only a few days away from Winterfell.”

“Will Mother and Arya be there as well? “ he asked, only now realizing Jon had only mentioned Sansa but had failed to mention his mother and his other sister.

“Mother is not home, Rickon” Bran interjected. “She married again and stayed with a man who is not Father” he spat with resentment.

“Bran, don’t say that. You mother loves you dearly. She wouldn’t be with Tywin Lannister if there was a way she could be with you. She probably thinks you two dead. It will gladden her heart to see you again. The same with Arya” Jon tried to reassure an unconvinced Bran.

 

Not much was said after that uncomfortable exchange. Bran had really changed after he woke up from the long sleep. Before that, he used to be a very happy boy who would play with Rickon all the time. But then, after he woke up and could not walk, he became very sad. He blamed his father for befriending the King, his mother for leaving, Robb for going off to war, Sansa and Arya for preferring the capital and not coming back to him, Jon for preferring his new Brothers. He even blamed Maester Luwin for not finding a cure for his legs and resented Rickon because he could no longer play along. Rickon had hoped seeing Jon again would lift his spirits, but it had only served to remind him that things would never be the same. Now he hoped that seeing Sansa again would cheer him up …

 

Spotting the walls of his beloved home in the distance certainly cheered _him_ up, and he rejoiced when he made out the Stark banners hanging from the battlements. He spurred his horse forward giving it a forceful kick to gallop away following the road to the North Gate. He wanted to arrive before anyone else did. But his horse had other ideas and refused to approach the gates without the others.

 

 _Mother_! She was there! He could see her! But where was Sansa? Maybe Arya was here too! _Oh, that’s not Mother._ But she looked just like her. Just like he remembered. Was this Sansa? She had changed. She looked taller. _Maybe she thinks I look taller too_ , he thought. He had no time to ponder on such things as his long-lost sister pulled him into an embrace and kissed him all over his face. She tried to do the same with Bran but he offered a more standoffish reaction. She also approached Jon and they both hugged and cried tenderly. She introduced herself to Osha and the Reed children and then proceeded to introduce her husband Tyrion Lannister – the short Lannister. _Now I’m even taller than he is!_ Rickon realized.

 

A feast awaited them inside the Keep and Rickon relished to be back home. He ran to all his favourite places and half expected Bran and Arya to come running after him. _But Arya is not here and Bran can’t run._ He expected his mother to admonish him and his father to shake his head silently – oh, how he feared those silent glares! _But Mother lives in another place and Father is never coming back._ He half expected Robb and Jon to help him hide and cover for him like they always did. _But Jon is a Man of the NightsWatch now and Robb is gone._ He even waited to see if Theon would play a prank on him like he used to. _Like he used to before he turned bad._ … The happiness he felt was slowly ebbing away as he realized things would never be the same again. _But if things have changed, there’s only one thing we can do: make the new things as good as the old things._ With that thought in his head he retuned to the Dining Hall, to his siblings, his family.

 

Sansa explained things in detail to Bran and Jon, about Father’s execution, the war, about Robb’s campaign. She flinched when Jon pressed her for details about her life in King’s Landing. In the end she just explained how they had forced her and Tyrion to marry and how together they had reclaimed their House. Rickon was quick to spot Tyrion squeezing her hand tenderly and she returning the gesture. _She looks happy with the short Lannister_.

 

The conversation then veered off to what had happened in a wedding somewhere in the south. That’s when they killed Robb. Sansa said she had been told her Mother had been killed as well, but then she had turned up some time later in Casterly Rock. Rickon felt a pang of envy when his sister mentioned she had seen their Mother in King’s Landing, but then regretted his jealousy when she talked about the trial she had faced and how she had almost been executed. And then apparently Arya herself had turned up as well and was now living with Mother. _Can’t we all move in together now?_

 

So, by all accounts the war was over, Sansa cheered with a half-hearted toast of her glass.

“Not all the wars” Jon started to say ominously but then decided to drop the matter. He asked Sansa about the recruits they had for the NightsWatch and Sansa explained how they had gathered a lot of prisoners that had chosen the Wall to being kept in dungeons. She mentioned something about the Ironborn and many traitors to House Stark. She promised Jon that these recruits were not weak men from the lowest rungs of the dungeons, but trained soldiers and experienced veterans who would be of use at the Wall. And Jon seemed pleased. “That would be a welcome change,” he said.

 

 

Just as he had promised, Jon stayed for a few days, which then turned into weeks. But in the end he had to leave.

“Take care, little wild wolf” he embraced Rickon tousling his hair. “Be safe Bran and remember: the problem is not being unable to walk, the problem is you believing you are a cripple. A very wise man once told me: Never forget what you are for the rest of the world will not. Wear it like an armour and it can never be used to hurt you” he finished embracing Bran and, for some reason, smiling at Tyrion who nodded knowingly in return. He shook hands with Tyrion and told him something Rickon could not hear, but he saw Tyrion patting Jon’s arm reassuringly and giving him a brotherly smile. He then addressed Osha and thanked her for taking care of his younger brothers and the same with Meera and Jojen. He finally turned to Sansa and whispered things in her ear Rickon was unable to hear. Sansa hugged him and he gently wiped her tears away from her face. “We’ll see each other again” he promised her. “When you go there, tell Arya, I miss her and tell your mother I am glad she is fine. Send them my regards.” With those last words, he got on his horse, spurred it and rode away with his men and new recruits.

 

It was not until Jon was out of sight that Rickon pondered on his last words … _When you go there._

 

“Sansa, what did he mean?”

“Who?” Sansa asked confused.

“Jon”

“What did he mean when?”

“When he said it.”

“What?”

“What he said before he left”

“What did he say?” she replied not hiding her frustration.

“He said: when you go there. What did he mean? When you go where?”

“Oh, Rickon” she smiled tenderly. “We’re going to see Mother and Arya!”

 

 

 

TBC


	15. Catelyn VI

Her belly was getting bigger by the day. She remembered all her pregnancies. Robb’s had been the first one. _Oh, my sweet babe Robb_ , she cried silently _._ She had been so afraid back then; just a young girl getting with child after spending just a few days with her new husband, a complete stranger. Her own mother had died in childbirth and she was afraid of following in the same footsteps. Had it not been for Maester Vyman’s and her own sister’s support, she knows she would have despaired. She remembered how she had dreamed back then of presenting her newborn son to her husband when he returned gloriously from the war, how they would rejoice in their new heir to Winterfell. Unfortunately, Ned’s return hadn’t been all that glorious with the sad passing of his sister and the bastard he had brought along. Jon.

 

Ned and her had not spoken for weeks after he came back with his _other boy_. Fortunately, things improved not long after that. The offending stranger that was her husband soon became the loving husband whose memory she will cherish for the rest of her days. She remembered how she had felt as their love blossomed. _Sansa was the living proof of that_ , she chuckled to herself as images of her and Ned making love in different places in the castle – and outside the castle – invaded her mind. Sansa’s had been an easy pregnancy. She had been an easy baby born out of love, not duty.

 

Arya came next. As she looked at Arya now, sitting next to her by the fire trying her best to sew a wolf onto a silk scarf, she couldn’t help but remember what a restless baby she had been - both in her womb and after she was born. Curious about this coming baby, Arya had started asking questions about her own birth. “You were a pain” Catelyn would tell her playfully. “Still am” she would return the banter. Oh, how happy Catelyn was to have her daughter back with her!

 

Bran and Rickon were next. Her sweet Bran, who would hardly give her any fuss or would hardly cry at night. He was by far the best behaved baby she had ever seen, the best behaved boy - except when he went climbing. _I told him time and again not to climb those walls!_ And the complete opposite could be said of Rickon: fitful in her belly and wild once he was born. He learned to crawl before all his other siblings did but refused to walk until he was almost two! He had learned to crawl so fast and sneak into small nooks it was almost impossible to catch him sometimes. Her two babies. _Gone_.

 

Nothing will ever replace the children she has lost; _not even this one_ , she resented, her hand slowly caressing her own stomach. She should be more afraid than she actually is. She is older and her body has suffered a lot. It should be no surprise if she were to … Better not think about it. But she’s not as afraid as she could be. She’s not really that concerned. Knowing both Arya and Sansa are alive and well is great comfort. Before, she would have fought the Stranger tooth and nail. She had to live for her babies. But now, there is not much she can help Sansa with, and she knows Arya will be well taken care of. Should anything happen to her, she has asked Tywin to send her back to Winterfell to her sister. And as for this new baby, _Tywin’s heir_ , he will probably be the best protected baby in the land. It’s not that she doesn’t care for this baby. She does. It is his father she resents, not the baby. … _Resenting a baby for his father, been there before,_ she thought ruefully to herself. Truth be told, she does resent Tywin up to a point: he is responsible for Robb’s death and many of the misfortunes that befell her family. But he is not the only responsible party. Looking back on everything that’s happened, she can see she is as much to blame. And so are Ned, and Robb, and Lysa, and Edmure. _We’ve all played small parts in this disaster_. At least, being with Tywin has allowed her to regain her daughters and has given her the chance to be a mother again.

 

“So, when are they arriving?” Arya’s question took her out of her reverie. Sansa was coming to be with her for the delivery and was due to arrive shortly.

“Soon, I hope. The letter said they had left Winterfell 6 weeks ago.”

“They are taking too long!”

“Oh, so now you’re anxious to see your sister, aren’t you?”

“No. It’s just that I don’t want to be the only one stuck with cleaning after the baby”

“Yes, I’m sure that’s what it is. Of course it’s not that you miss her and want to see her, is it?” Catelyn teased her daughter.

“No, but I don’t want to be the only one to hear you scream when the baby comes out.”

“I won’t scream”

“Oh, believe me, Mother, you will. I remember when Rickon was born. You were screaming bloody murder, I thought Maester Luwin was killing you!”

“Ha! I don’t remember. Did I really cry that much?”

“Yes! You sounded like a prisoner being skinned alive. And your mouth! I had never heard you curse before. You sounded like a rabid sailor!”

“I didn’t!!”

“Yes you did! Well, it was only one word, but I remember it” she said with glee. “Father was beside himself with worry. We were all worried, but I have to admit it was fun to hear you say such foul things. You, out of all people!”

“Only one word?” Catelyn asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

“Yes, only one, but I remember it. How come you don’t remember? Surely if something hurts that much you must remember it for the rest of your life.”

“The body is very wise, Arya. Do you remember when you put your hand in the fire when you were about five? Did it hurt?”

“Yes! Of course I remember!”

“You wouldn’t do it again, would you?”

“No! That would be stupid!”

“Well, imagine if the same happened when we had babies. The first one hurts so much that you never have babies again. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have had any babies after Robb. The body has a way to make us women forget the bad aspects of childbirth and only remember the good ones. So we can do it again. And again. The body is very wise.”

“Mhh.. maybe. If something hurts so much I certainly wouldn’t want to do it again” she ended the topic matter-of-factly. “Would you have another baby with Tywin?” she asked seriously, all traces of their earlier banter gone.

“I don’t know. I didn’t mean to get with child.”

“It’s not like you tried not to” she challenged. Catelyn’s relationship with Tywin was still a sore topic between mother and daughter. Catelyn certainly could not blame her daughter for resenting Tywin. Her own feelings were not so clear on the matter either.

“Arya, sweetling, what’s done is done. For better or worse I am married to Tywin now and having his child. Yes, he’s the man who had Robb killed, and you don’t need to remind me of it every time. I know. I was there, I watched him die” she tried to control her grief and her tears. “But he’s also the man who gave you back to me and who saved Sansa from execution. And nothing I do will ever pay for that.”

“So, is that why you’re sleeping with him? To pay for me and Sansa?”

“Gods! Arya, no! We’ve been through this before. And I really don’t want to do it again. Please, just let the matter drop”

“I just don’t want to see you hurt” she said sadly. “And this baby had better not hurt you, or it will have to face me!” Arya said with a resolute grin.

 

It took Sansa and her party five more days to arrive. Catelyn was beside herself with joy when she saw the horses and the carriages. She ran outside as fast as her big belly would allow, with Arya running by her side. She couldn’t wait to see her daughter again and had expected for Sansa to be the first one to step out of the carriage, so she was utterly confused when a young boy came running towards her instead. And then she spotted Sansa helping another boy onto the ground and placed on a wheelchair.

 

She almost fainted when she recognized who they were. _My Bran. My Rickon. They are alive. They are here!_ She didn’t mind that Rickon weighed a lot more than he did when she had last seen him. She didn’t mind the extra weight her belly added to her body. She caught Rickon in her arms and lifted him up to her face. She remained kissing his cheeks for the longest time and then bent down to Bran. She cried onto the child she had thought dead and lost and let him cry on her shoulder too.

 

“Surprise!” Sansa laughed.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“We wanted to surprise you” Bran smiled faintly.

 

Catelyn had organized a welcoming feast for her family. She had to admit, feasts here at Casterly Rock were easier to organize than they had been at Winterfell. Neither Ned nor Tywin were men who truly cared much about trivialities such as these, so it had always fallen on her to organize such events. The difference was that at Casterly Rock people were more used to this type of affairs so she could actually get more help. Also, there was more abundance and a larger variety of foods and entertainment. She couldn’t hide her happiness when she was sat at the table with her two daughters and her two sons and she saw them dance and enjoy the festivities. Only in her wildest dreams had she envisioned this.

 

She was able to exchange stories with her long lost boys. They told her about their trek into the North with a wildling called Osha and the Reed children and how they had found Jon through a friend of his. They told her about all they saw at Castle Black and how they reunited with Sansa again. When Catelyn asked about Winterfell Bran explained that he had decided to ignore inheritance laws and customs and had let Sansa be Lady of Winterfell together with her husband, thus abdicating his title of Lord of Winterfell. “They are doing an admirable job, much better than I ever could” he said looking down at his scrawny legs with such sad eyes that Catelyn had to refrain from running to him and embracing him in her arms. Sansa had accepted only on the condition that he became her trusted advisor. On the one hand, she was content Sansa and Bran would both stay together at Winterfell, but on the other hand, she couldn’t shake that nagging feeling of reject: her son had chosen not to live with her. Rickon, fortunately, had decided he wanted to live at Casterly Rock with his mother and Arya, “and that new baby who is only half a brother” as he had added with a dismissive shake of his hand.

 

 

Later that night, after all the guests had left and everybody had retired for the night, Tywin and Tyrion had walked away to Tywin’s solar for a long dreaded father-son meeting, so it was only Catelyn and her children who remained talking out in the yard under the moonlight and the light breeze of the cool night. _This is what my heart needed._

 

“The three Stark Ladies” she smiled at her daughters.

“Actually mother, you are a Lannister. And so is Sansa. I’m the only Stark” Arya said proudly not realizing the dagger she had just put in her mother’s heart.

“Arya!” Sansa cried outraged. “Don’t say such things.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it” she immediately apologized when she saw her mother’s mouth agape and her eyes wide.

“It’s all right, sweetling. You’re right. You are a Stark and should feel proud about it” Catelyn said trying to reassure her daughter.

“We’re _all_ Starks” Sansa said. “I am a Stark, a Tully and a Lannister. And so is mother. So you see, Arya, you’re the one that’s lacking name” Sansa joked sticking her tongue out at her sister.

“And some things never change” Catelyn muttered and started laughing shaking her head lightly.

“I’m a Stark as well” interjected Rickon feeling left out. “And Bran!

“Of course, sweetling. We’re all Starks, and Tullys”

“ And Jon, well, he’s not a Tully. But he’s a Stark and a Snow. ”

“Yes” Catelyn nodded quietly. “Jon is also a Stark”

“Where did he get the name Snow? Is that his family name?” Rickon asked curiously.

“Rickon, stop it” Sansa interrupted her brother and looked at her mother. “We saw him. He sends his regards.” _The Lannisters send their regards_. Catelyn’s soul plummeted for a minute and her body gave an involuntary shake.

“How’s he doing?” she asked earnestly.

“He’s fine. He’s doing well at Castle Black. He mentioned something about a war but did not expand. He did not seem ready to share many details, so I did not press. He needed recruits for the Watch so we gave them all the Ironborn and Bolton men we had captured: able men to deal with the harsh life at the Wall. It was good to see him again, Mother.”

“I know” she said with a tender smile. “Regardless of what your father did, he is still your family. I am glad he has found his place. All his life I wanted him out of Winterfell, but I never meant him any harm. I wanted for him to be fostered somewhere else, I never wanted him sent to the Wall. Now I wonder what would have happened if your Father hadn’t sent him there, if he had been at Winterfell , or if he had been fostered with any other House loyal to House Stark or Tully. Would the result of the war had been different? Or would he have perished with your father at King’s Landing? Or at Edmure’s wedding with Robb?”

“It’s no use dwelling, Mother” Sansa said grabbing her hand. _My Gods, how much she has grown. Gone is the little girl who played at princesses, she has become a fierce woman on her own now,_ reflected Catelyn. “What has happened to our family is tragic, but we have survived and we need to move forwards. We had thought ourselves lost to one another and, yet, here we are. I had thought you dead along with Robb and you showed up to save me in King’s Landing. I had thought Arya dead and she showed up to live with you. I had thought Bran and Rickon dead and they showed up at home with Jon, somebody I had not heard from in ages as well. We suffered a lot, Mother, all of us. But we endured, and we will prevail. You are Lady of Casterly Rock and have a new baby coming soon. You will have Arya and Rickon, and our new little brother or sister. I will be home with Bran and Tyrion who, I want you to know Mother, is an excellent husband and I truly love dearly. Your brother is safe and living happily with his new wife. And Jon is fine and close to home.”

“You are right, sweetling. We should take comfort in those things, even if it’s not what I had envisioned our future to be like.”

 

Catelyn wanted for this moment with her children to last forever. But there was another child of hers that did not want to be left out. And he made his presence known. They all looked in confusion as their mother’s sweet voice turned into a moan and her tender expression into a painful frown.

 

_The baby was coming._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll see Tywin's point of view ...


	16. Tywin VII

There was only so many tears and crying women he could put up with. He was Lord of Casterly Rock, he had no time for tender embraces and exuberant displays of love. He would let his wife have her emotional moment with her children, she deserved it. But he wanted no part in it. Besides, there were more pressing matters he had to discuss with his own son. He stayed at the feast for as long as he needed to for the sake of appearances, but now it was time for business.

 

“You look well son” he told him as they entered his solar. “Life in the cold suits you”

“Thank you father” Tyrion returned the courtesy. “You look well, too. And so does your wife. She certainly outdid herself with this feast. I’m sure she must have been pleasantly surprised with the added guests”.

“As you could see, she was”

“And, are you?” Tyrion inquired raising his eyebrows.

“Only one is staying. The wild brat said he wanted to stay here” he answered shaking his head lightly and pressing his lips together. _Damn Starks always show up when you least expect them to._ “The cripple is going back with you.”

“So she has gained her daughters, her sons, and the new one coming soon. She won’t have time for you”

“Funny you should mention the baby. I don’t see you wife’s belly growing any bigger. Are you finding trouble in that department? Performing was never an issue for you.”

“No, father. We simply do not believe it is time yet.”

“It is never too early to be prepared” Tywin said with exasperation. “You need an heir, especially if the cripple brother is staying there”

“Bran is a good lad. He wants Sansa to be Lady of Winterfell.”

“Yes, I have noticed that. It is always _Lady Sansa Stark of Winterfell_. What happened to Lord Tyrion Lannister of Winterfell? That’s why I sent you there in the first place.”

“Really, I thought it was to get rid of me.”

“You are my son, Tyrion, and above all, you are a Lannister. Family is what matters.”

“Oh, yes. Family, Duty, Honor. Is your wife rubbing off on to you already? Oh, wait, what happened to Honor?” Tyrion countered.

“Enough! You need a son, if you can’t deliver I can always find another way to do it.”

“What, will you lie with my wife yourself? Will you do mother and daughter at the same time?”

 

Tywin’s hand reached out of its own volition. He never meant to strike his son, but he was getting on his nerves. Out of his three children, it was Tyrion who had always been the most aggressive towards him, always finding ways to hurt his pride and mock his great achievements. _Catelyn has achieved nothing and her children cry to be with her. I have achieved more than anyone and my own children want nothing to do with me._ Jaime was the only one who understood him, and he was now Hand to Tommen. The other two were a different story. Cersei had not spoken to him since she was sent to marry Willas Tyrell. _How could she not understand that it was for the benefit of the family?_ But Tyrion was the worst, not only did he not appreciate everything he had done for the family, but he also had to undermine his every decision.

 

“Just make sure your wife has a son soon” he warned Tyrion conveniently refusing to apologize for the slap. “We have everything we wanted when the war started. You need to do your part for the family.”

“No Father” Tyrion replied placing his hand on his bruised cheek. “ _You_ have what _you_ wanted. Not me. And definitely not Cersei.”

“We are all the same, Tyrion. We are Lannisters. And yes, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, _we_ have achieved great success. Tommen is King and Jaime is his Hand. He will be the heir to Castelry Rock when I die. We have allies in the South through Myrcella in Dorne and your sister in Highgarden. My brother Kevan rules in Riverrun and it will pass on to my son with Catelyn when he becomes of age.”

“What if it’s a girl?”

“We’ll have another one. And then another one until I get my heir.”

“Oh, so you married a brood mare. Is she happy with her role in this great plan of yours?”

“Leave my wife out of this” he ordered him sharply. For some reason he felt the primal need to stand up for his wife. “And I need you in the North. You need to secure my legacy in the north!”

“Don’t you mean _our_ legacy, father?”

“Do not mock me, son. I understand that you let your wife do the ruling for the time being: you need to gain the Northern Lords’ trust. But do not forget who you are. You are my son, Lord Tyrion Lannister, Lord of Winterfell. And you need an heir.”

“What if my wife does not want a baby yet?”

“Are you not lying together? If she refuses you, you can always force her”

“Is that how you got your wife with child? Did you tie her down and force her legs apart?”

“Do not talk about my wife like that” he warned his son sternly grabbing him by the neck and pulling him against the wall. There was a time when he might have done such a thing. But Catelyn meant a lot more to him now - certainly a lot more than he wanted to admit. “My relationship with my wife is private”

“You love her” Tyrion suddenly realized and started smirking. “The mighty Tywin Lannister, falling for the charms of the woman he wronged” he mocked him.

“My. Relationship. With. My. Wife. Is. Private.”

“So is mine” he challenged back. “We’ll have a child when the time comes, but meanwhile, leave us be. Father, she has just been through a lot and is only now finding her feet again. She is happy to be back home and she needs time to adjust to the fact that she is now filling her father’s shoes. All she has talked about these past few weeks is how happy she was to have Bran and Rickon back, how excited she was to visit her mother and assist with the baby, to reunite with Arya, what it meant for her to see Jon Snow again. Leave her be. She needs time. Please.”

“All right” Tywin finally acquiesced.

 

Feeling the conversation had ended, Tyrion walked himself out of the solar and left Tywin to his own musings. He poured himself a glass of wine and pondered on his achievements

 

_Not bad, not bad at all. The people will talk about the Starks, the Baratheons, the Martells, the Tyrells. But it is us who move the strings: the Lannisters. The west, the South, the Riverlands, the North. They all bow to the Lannisters. … Cersei has my blood. Just like she did with Robert, she may let Willas think he rules, but I know whose bidding he will be doing. Tommen is a sweet malleable boy and with Jaime’s good influence his kingdom will be successful. Kevan is my brother, he will never do anything I don’t approve of. And he knows Riverrun will belong to my son with Catelyn eventually. And with Tyrion, I also have the North. Regardless of what he may think of me, I have faith in him. I know when the time comes he will not disappoint me. He will stand by his family - and if he doesn’t, I’ll find a way to make him._

 

 

“My Lord!” a loud voice and a knock on the door called him.

“Enter”

“Your wife, my Lord. She’s in labour”

 

He hated babies. As a rule they were all ugly and loud. And the process by which they came was not pleasant at all. It was in moments like this when he thanked all the gods he was born a man. Hearing his wife’s screams and watching her sons fret was just too irritating. As per Catelyn’s request, Arya and Sansa had been allowed to assist the midwife and the Maester. He figured it was not so much their assistance per se that she needed, but their presence and their support. The cripple boy and the wild brat had remained outside with him and were now seething with worry for their mother.

 

She kept screaming but the baby would not come out. Suddenly the yelling turned into incoherent raging until a single primal scream rang out. After that, there was a deafening silence for a few seconds. _Why won’t the baby cry? Cry damn it. Cry._

 

And it did. From behind the door he could hear happy whispers in women’s voices: some encouraging Catelyn, some congratulating her, some cooing the newborn baby. The baby was fine, Tywin breathed out relieved.

 

He did not wait for the Maester to come out and he just burst his way into the birthing room. The first things that struck him were the mess, the blood and the smell. _Oh, the blood. Joanna!_ Images of his previous wife dying in the birthing bed assaulted his mind. Where Catelyn lay now he could see Joanna writhing and could hear her moaning in pain. He had to put those memories out of his head. _History will not repeat itself._ He focused on the present instead. He could see the Maester cleaning his wife between her legs. The midwife and the nurse were cleaning the baby and then handed it to Sansa. Sansa shared the baby with her sister and with a kiss placed it on Catelyn’s arms. His wife looked exhausted, with sweat all over her face and her hair tangled into a wet mass surrounding her head. She had tears in her eyes, but those eyes radiated nothing but love to the little bundle in her arms. _Where do I fit here?_ He wondered.

 

He made to approach Catelyn and saw how her two daughters stood defensively in front of their mother. _They think I want to hurt her._ His mind went back to one of the first conversations he had had with Catelyn when she first told him she was with child. She had feared that after she had given him an heir he would get rid of her. He hoped he had chased those fears away. But maybe he hadn’t. Maybe she had shared her fears with her daughters and that’s why they remained stoically by her side. They didn’t know that he indeed cared for Catelyn. _Love? Maybe that too._ Deep down he knew that it was not just about securing his legacy when it came to her. And if there was no heir, he would still keep her by his side.

 

But he had to know. Boy or girl? Heir or try again?

 

“My Lord” Catelyn’s faint voice called him. “Tywin. Please meet our son.”

He found himself oddly uncomfortable and lost for words. He realized he had been almost as worried about his wife’s health as he had been about the baby. Not since Joanna had a woman touched him so, and Joanna had been taken away from him in this very same room.

“Congratulations Catelyn” he finally said. “I’m glad you are fine” he added and realized he truly meant it. She must have realized it too since she smiled sweetly at him and nodded. “What would you name him?”

 

She remained silent for a moment. He knew he could very well choose the name himself and she would have to accept it. He didn’t know why he had asked her. What had prompted him to let her make the choice? It was a dangerous proposition. What if she chose Eddard just to spite him? Or Robb? What if she picked a northern name? He would have to put his foot down if that were the case.

 

“Hoster, for my father?” she suggested.

“Hoster Lannister, heir to Riverrun.” The name had a nice ironic ring to it, but he liked it.

 

When Catelyn and the baby had been properly taken care of he made all his staff leave. He allowed Catelyn’s children in the room for a while, but then ordered them out as well. He wanted to enjoy a quiet moment with his new family: the wife he had realized he really loved and their new son. He found himself mesmerized as Catelyn opened her gown to nurse the baby and couldn’t stop his own head from leaning down to kiss the crown of little Hoster’s head. He then rested his lips on his wife’s forehead and remained like that for a while.

 

His mind returned to his previous musings. … _And as for me. I have found happiness again. I have a wife that has returned me back to life. And I have a new son. A new hope. … Not bad. Not bad at all._

 

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End notes: So now I consider the story finished. Tywin has won and achieved what he wanted but it has turned out alright for everybody else as well. I will not deal with the war with the white walkers, although Jon did make a mention of it. There was no mention of Daenerys, who, by this point, is only a minor threat nobody has heard of somewhere in a distant continent. 
> 
> So, IF the events of season 7 do take place, it will be in this universe, where Catelyn and Tywin are alive, Arya is living in Casterly Rock with a loving mother and never went to Bravos to become an assassin, Sansa and Tyrion have a wonderful relationship and rule the North together, Bran and Rickon are alive, Rickon is living with his mother and Bran, who never became the Three-eyed Raven, is at Winterfell with Sansa, Tommen is King and Jaime is his Hand, Brienne has joined the Kingsguard, Cersei has been married to Willas in Highgarden, Myrcella is alive and happy in Dorne, Jon stayed in contact with his family and visited as often as he could, Theon is dead (sad about that) and Ramsay is not in control of Winterfell … Not bad … Not bad at all …


End file.
